Veracity
by Unanorak
Summary: A baby is found near Noxus. She is delivered by a mysterious, cloaked woman to a student of the summoning arts in the Institute of War. Strange things begin to happen as the mysterious woman returns. Aside from that, the young girl also struggles with the daily issues of a new summoner, friendships, and city-state clashes. Slight changes to the Institute of War, not to the lore.
1. Chapter 1

**I have been struggling within myself to post this up. I've been waiting for someone to write a story about a summoner and judge the readers reactions via their review but I haven't seen one (haven't checked in a few days but still). I would appreciate honest feedback: if stories like this are shunned, I'll remove it. **

**Anyway, I've been making slight changes to the Institute of War but nothing that would completely alter the lore. Also it's a bit of a slow start, been trying to pump more details into my works. 3k word chapters seem to be my standard so far.**

**The usual stuff: I don't own League of Legends or have any affiliation with Riot aside from my own personal account. All the fantastic bits of lore they create are theirs.**

**Hope you enjoy the read!**

* * *

_It had been an average day in the Institute of War that day. No important matches, just practice matches for summoners who wanted the practice, which were offered daily as long as there were enough people available. The day was coming to an end as a young man walked back towards the institute, taking slow steps as he read from the book he was holding._

_The man was a newly inducted summoner, studying to eventually become a teacher at the prestigious Summoner Academy held within the institute itself. Being a graduate of the academy, he found himself qualified as a summoner at the young age of twenty two. He was considered a gifted student in the art of summoning._

_As he stood outside the massive doors of the institute, he was met by a cloaked woman and a light drizzle as the skies became grey. All he could see was a flowing river of white hair, a mouth curled into a neutral frown and a wrapped object in her hands. He approached her slowly, closing and shielding his book from the incoming rain._

_"Excuse me ma'am, do you need anything? It seems like the weather is about to take a turn for the worse," he said, in a courteous manner. He moved his hand towards her shoulder. She raised her hand and shook her head, revealing more strands of white hair from beneath the cloak._

_"Please take care of her, I found her as I traveled towards Noxus. I don't know where else to take this child," the woman said, holding the wrapped child forward. She quickly placed the baby in his hands, not giving him much of an option. She turned and immediately began to walk away._

_"Wait! I can't-" he began, taking a step forward. Once he saw the woman had no intentions of turning around, he lowered his raised hand and let out a sigh. He lowered his head and put on a characteristic smile. "I'm sure we can find you a home." He moved into the institute and out of the rain. He lowered the blanket slightly._

_A sleeping baby girl with strange pink hair rested within his arms. He seemed surprised that she would sleep through whatever had happened to her. He raised the blanket over her head again and began walking towards the headmaster of the academy's office._

* * *

Eighteen years later, the pink haired girl seemed to be in the same situation as she had been. She wore a dark blue student robe as she groggily opened her eyes. She raised her head slowly from the wooden table as she was met with a giggling room of students and a sighing teacher.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss. Nakano, seems you're a bit less excited for graduation than everyone else," the teacher said, with a smirk. He couldn't be too mad; it was the last official day of classes.

"Sorry," She said, trying to think of any excuse as to why she'd be so tired.

"Why so tired, Izuna?" Asked a boy next to her.

"I was just up late preparing my speech for tomorrow... I'm kinda nervous," Izuna responded, truthfully.

"You'll do fine, just talk about how I made your life here entertaining enough to pass," the cocky boy responded, giving her a wink.

"I'm sure your constant begging me for help with homework and asking me out were the reason why my grades were so good, Jack," Izuna responded, sticking her tongue out at her longtime friend.

As with the rest of her class, Izuna had met Jack when she entered the academy. Every class of about fifteen or so students moved through their twelve years together. She had sat next to her cocky friend since they began their training and they eventually became close friends despite their five year age difference. All the students had maybe one or two good friends but everyone got along with each other. Their teacher cleared his throat to get the attention of his students.

"Well, I suppose I should say something about having you brats with me for an entire year now..." The teacher said, pacing around the front of the class, earning a laugh from his students. "It was a pleasure being your teacher. Despite some of you rarely doing your homework and being stubborn during lessons, you've all proven yourself to be fantastic new summoners. Just remember that your journey has just begun; it only gets harder from here but I know all of you can handle it. I will see you guys tomorrow, get some rest tonight."

The class stared at him quietly, staring at the clock. The teacher then won the eternal respect of his students by coughing again and saying a few words.

"Get out of here, class dismissed," he said, grinning.

With that, the class was dismissed. Izuna remained in her seat with a smile. The rest of the class quickly left in cheers. The teacher turned and noticed the pink haired girl.

"Are you alright, Izuna?" He asked, walking towards her. "Why aren't you running out in cheers?"

"Thanks for everything, Joey," she said, staring up at him.

"I didn't do anything Izuna," the teacher responded, patting her head. "You worked your ass off to get to where you are. I'm proud of you."

She smiled as she packed her remaining stuff before leaving. Aside from his growing a light beard and letting his hair grow out a bit, Joey hadn't changed from the first memory she had of him; he sure didn't seem like a forty year old man. She crossed her arms as she walked in thought.

_'I should do something for him... I should bake him something! Wait, I'm a terrible cook... Gah.'_

Izuna began to walk back towards her room. The room was next to her de facto guardian, in the wing where many of the other teachers lived. She had offered to move elsewhere but she was told it would be alright since she was a 'special case'.

Many things made her a 'special case'. She used to hate the term until she grew up a bit, getting used to it and not thinking about it. What wouldn't be 'special' about an pink haired orphan being dropped off by a mysterious woman who found her by Noxus?

She opened her door and threw her bag on her bed, immediately sitting in a chair in front of her wooden desk. An almost completely filled piece of paper laid in front of her; her valedictorian speech, mostly filled with corrections and drawings. A knock on her door came almost immediately after she sat, resulting in her hand being jerked back. Maybe switching clothes wasn't a good idea anymore.

"Miss Nakano, do you have a moment?," said familiar voice.

"Of course, please come in," she said, turning around on her chair.

An elderly man in an elegant robe opened the door as she quickly stood up and gave a bow in respect. He gave her a wave as he stepped inside. She recognized him easily as the headmaster of the academy and a high ranking, powerful summoner.

"I see you're quite busy with your speech for tomorrow; I am excited to hear what you have to say. I'll make my visit quick," he said, pacing around in place. "Are you interested in the summoner ranking system?"

"I hadn't given it much thought. I suppose so," she responded.

"I'm giving a few students that I see potential in a chance to have a match against one of the senior teams. You, of course, are one of the chosen students. Would you be interested?" The man said, turning to look at her. "A victory would place you higher than most people."

"I'll do my best, thank you for the opportunity sir," she said, with another bow. She began to sit again.

"Perfect, come with me," he said, heading towards the door. She quickly raised her body.

"W-wait, right now?" Izuna asked. Her eyes shifted to her paper.

"You were the fifth person to accept and you're already dressed in your robe, the rest of your team is already preparing to choose their champions," the headmaster said, beginning to walk.

Izuna grabbed her bag and rushed to catch up to him. She put her paper in her bag

_'I'll never finish my speech!'_

* * *

Izuna was quickly taken to a summoning room where she saw four others standing in a circle, wearing robes like her. She recognized them all as her classmates but one stood out. The one who took his hood off and smirked at her, waving her over.

"Yo Izuna, I see the proclaimed princess of the jungle is here to win this match for us," Jack said, grinning. She hated his nickname for her but walked over to the remaining spot for her, waving slightly at her other classmates.

"I wish you all the best of luck, prepare yourselves, the match will start in three minutes," the headmaster said, walking out of the room, shutting the immense doors.

The five summoners nodded as they all locked views together. Izuna stared around and recognized her classmates and their usual roles. She recognized a student named Joseph, who was also nicknamed Joey, who was recognized as a tactical and strong top laner, definitely the most confident in their class. Beside him was a girl named Nicole, who was predominantly a mid laner, favoring a certain pyromaniac eight year old as her champion of choice. Aside from Jack was another girl named Melissa, who was as quiet as her champion of choice Sona and with a dominance of using wards above most people in their class.

Finally, Jack. No matter how cocky and annoying he could be, he loved the spotlight of his preferred role of what everyone shortened to ADC. His accuracy and quick thinking skills, along with his relentless assaults and confidence synergized great with his champion of choice, Draven.

"Everyone knows where to go?" Joey asked, who was appointed as their captain, which no one opposed. He was often chosen as the one who led their battles in the match, as he so often was chosen for due to his skill. He knew when an engagement was a win or a loss and everyone trusted his calls. The group nodded, he returned the nod and closed his eyes. He raised his hand and created a white orb. A few seconds later, the face of his champion, Shen, appeared.

The group continued slowly, doing the same things. Using their summoning skills and asking their champions for their help, Nicole summoned Annie, Melissa summoned Sona, and Jack summoned Draven.

Izuna closed her own eyes finally and did her hand motions flawlessly as she had done for the past twelve years of training. She focused her mind on her champion of choice. This had become the easiest part of the process. It had easily become a second mature.

_'Hey, I need your help if you aren't too busy, do you mind?'_

The face of the Piltover Enforcer, Vi, appeared in her circle, with a grin.

_'Its about time, I was staring to get bored anyway, nice to see you, Izuna.'_

* * *

Izuna's view became an elevated view of the field of justice they were so used to, the Summoner's Rift. Her pink haired champion jumped in place and stretched her arms slightly, awaiting her commands.

Using the orb of light as a magical screen, she moved her left hand onto the item store and bought the items she always began with; a hunter's machete and five health potions.

_'Ready Vi?'_ Izuna said telepathically to her champion.

"Let's get to the fun part," Vi said, beginning to walk to where Izuna commanded.

Izuna began to let her vision wander as she went into a sort of autopilot mode. Shen and Annie had come around her, guarding the area where the immense golem would spawn. She focused on the area where the enemy team could come in when she noticed her opponent had chosen Shyvana, a champion well known for her invading.

As the golem spawned, Vi began to slam her massive gauntlets at the monster, quickly shattering its armor and attacking faster. Shen threw a blade onto it, which rejuvenated the enforcer as her blows connected, while the dark child threw a few bolts of fire from behind. They soon dispersed as Vi finished the monster and moved on towards the wolves.

Izuna watched as Vi moved deftly across the jungle, clearing the camps of monsters quickly. They had worked together many times and she was considered her champion of choice. Izuna chimed in again once Vi began fighting the elder lizard, casting her spell, Smite, onto the creature, immediately felling it. Izuna moved her view towards the other lanes. She noticed the Shyvana had not been here, so they had a moment of opportunity.

_'Vi, head towards the middle, let's help Annie,'_ Izuna said.

Towards the bottom, Draven and Sona continued to harass the enemy Leona and Ashe. Whenever Leona attempted to attack Sona, Draven threw his menacing axes at the frost archer, making her support have to shift her focus. Annie, however, was having her lane pushed by Ahri, who would be a powerful threat when her summoner gets access to her spirit rush ability.

_'Shyvana is probably heading towards the bottom, we can go there after,'_ Izuna added.

Vi nodded as she headed behind the nine tailed fox and Izuna signaled Annie to move forward. As Annie moved forward, Ahri landed a charm and began to attack. Vi moved behind her with her vault breaker and began to attack the fox, disrupting her powerful assault.

As she attempted to move towards the bushes, the now freed Annie threw a ball of fire, stunning the other mage, securing the kill for the pyromaniac despite Ahri's summoner casting flash towards their turret. Vi moved across the lane and towards the enemy jungle.

_'Shyvana will have to come to the middle now, let's take some monsters from her.'_

* * *

Almost an hour later, Vi and the rest of the blue team stood in front of a destroyed nexus. The cocky Draven began to spin his axes, flashing a wide smirk. Little Annie spun around holding her bear while Shen and Sona remained quiet, although Sona began to strum a cheery song.

"Nice job Izuna, I'll see you soon," Vi said, waving her hand towards the sky, as she disappeared from the field of justice.

The remaining champions did the same as Izuna dispelled her magic, returning her view to the dark room with her teammates. She soon felt an arm warp around her and squeezing her.

"Woo! Nice job, Izuna, you were almost as good as I was," Jack said, smirking.

"Yeah, yeah, welcome to the League of Jack," she taunted, mocking the glorious executioner.

The rest of the team came together and idly chatted, giving congratulations while Joey apologized for the mistakes he seemed to make inside his own head. The headmaster came inside, clapping slowly.

"I expected nothing less from the top students, I will see you all tomorrow," he said, quickly leaving.

The group split up and headed their own ways. Izuna took her own route, towards the teacher's wing. She crossed her arms as she walked, closing her eyes, ignore a shout from Jack about a date after graduation.

'I expected more than just a congratulations... Maybe tomorrow,' she said to herself.

She walked into her room and threw herself onto the bed, dropping her bag the floor. She closed her eyes and immediately fell asleep. It had been a long day, despite her napping in class.

* * *

"Izuna, are you awake?" said a familiar voice.

Izuna pulled herself up slowly and rubbed her eyes. She sighed as she sat up. Her robe was wrinkled from her tossing around and her hair was surely a mess, despite her headband still being on. She slowly trudged to the door and opened it. A tall, handsome man stood at the door, holding a bouquet of flowers. She immediately straightened up and rushed a hand to her head, attempting to flatten rogue strands of hair.

"I'm very proud of you," her guardian, Joey, said.

"I-It was nothing special..." She said, as he handed her the flowers. She couldn't help but turn to a shade similar to her hair.

The teacher walked inside as she sat on her desk chair, clutching her flowers. He sat on her bed and crossed her arms.

"I have to speak with you about some things," he said, looking at the young summoner.

"What is it?" She asked, with a hint of worry, as she always got when someone had to 'talk to her'.

"It's about your legal status," he began. She stared quietly until he continued. "As you know, you've been listed under me since you began at the academy, under my Demacian citizenship. I spoke with some people, and it has been made official; you can be a citizen of Demacia if you so choose. I've had this paperwork on hiatus for a while now."

"That's good... I have a different question," Izuna said, putting the flowers beside her. He turned to her, awaiting the question. "Why did you keep me here? You didn't have to."

"You've never wondered about that... I suppose you don't remember," Joey said, smiling. "I took you to Headmaster Ozu and explained what happened. He told me to take care of you until we find you a suitable home... Until a very big argument between Noxus and Ionia broke out, delaying anything else aside from that. I took care of you for a year, you began to talk, and I became attached to you..."

"No matter what happens, you'll always be my daughter. Even if you happen to be some rich Noxian heir to the throne or something," he finished. Despite his Demacian citizenship, her guardian never spoke down of Noxus. She felt the same way since she had met a plethora of people from everywhere.

"Thanks for everything... I'll make you proud," Izuna said, feeling her throat clench up a bit.

"You already have, I'll see you in an hour, go get ready for your big speech," her teacher said, standing up slowly. "I also want to congratulate you for yesterday, I was a member of the opposing team."

"Y-you where?" Izuna asked, shocked. Surely they had gone easy on them...

"I was. It was fun to finally experience my students abilities myself. Even that Jack learned a thing or two, huh?" He said, waving as he headed towards the door. He quickly turned and smirked. "If I had placed my ward on the other side, you and Annie wouldn't have been so lucky."

Izuna felt her mouth curl into a smile. Compliments from a parental figure were always nice which were only amplified on graduation day. She turned back to her paper, which had remained largely untouched for the past couple of days. She gripped her pencil.

"Time to finish this."

* * *

**Thank you for reading this chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two.**

**To reply to a reviewer: I should've mentioned it last chapter but the style of writing I've defaulted to lately has been influenced by RPG video games. The first example I always give is Dragon Quest 8 for the PS2: You begin knowing nothing about the 2 characters you control or their 2 companions and they explain it to the player via their interactions. That's kind of the reason I left Izuna's character and Vi's connection to be a mystery; It'll be revealed as the story progresses. **

**Anyway, as always, enjoy this chapter, reviews and criticism appreciated.**

* * *

Izuna stood in a room surrounded by all of her classmates. Each of them dressed in their usual robes, some adorned with extra honors, ribbons, or medals. She held a rumpled piece of paper loosely in her hands as she continually skimmed the words. She stood out thanks to a golden sash draped across her shoulders. She felt an arm wrap around her.

"Kinda weird to finally be graduating huh?" Jack asked, smiling.

His robe was adorned with a small red pin. She wouldn't say it to him but she admitted he cleaned up well for the occasion, having more well kept hair and trimming his light beard.

"Guess so. We're still going to be here a lot," Izuna said. "Unless you plan on doing something else in Noxus."

Jack opened his mouth to say a certainly witty response but was interrupted by their teacher, Joey, clearing his throat in the front of the room. His robe was very different from theirs; it was white with a yellow trim, adorned with a few ribbons and medals surely from his own graduation; a tradition among teachers here.

"I bet you're all ready to finally get out of here... Beyond these doors, your families will be watching as you receive your certificates and become recognized as official summoners," Joey said, moving his head as he spoke, scanning the room full of his soon-to-be former students. "Follow me, your graduation is about to begin."

With that, he opened the double doors and led onwards. The students lined up and followed. Izuna followed Jack as she stared around at the crowded room. Everyone seemed to have one or two people here to see them graduate, as well as a few champions that were standing here or there. She often forgot the academy was probably very expensive and many of the kids came from wealthier families. Either Joey had hidden wealth or it was another perk of her being a 'special case'.

The students stood in rows in a small stage, organized by student height, leaving the girl in the front row. Their teacher stood aside Headmaster Ozu and another member of the institute Izuna didn't recognize. The headmaster moved towards the edge of the stage.

"Welcome all to this most memorable of occasions. Today is the day that these children take another big steps forward into their lives as summoners. I want to begin by letting the class' top student give her speech," the man said, turning slightly. "Izuna Nakano, if you don't mind."

Izuna had expected him to speak first but she quickly composed herself, walking forward towards the edge. A round of applause filled the room causing her to feel a bit nervous. She fiddled her hands behind her back and, as she was about to begin to speak, she heard a loud voice.

"Yeah, Izuna!" said a very familiar voice, followed by the sound of a smack. Her eyes moved to the Piltover enforcer being smacked by her partner. Izuna smiled as she began to speak.

"Thanks Vi..." she began, earning a few laughs. "Uh...I think I can say I speak for my entire class when I say it has been quite a twelve year journey. We've all struggled with homework, teachers, and learning to control our champions and items at one point or another. Thank you for all your support, we will work our hardest to make everyone proud as we become official summoners." Despite her working so hard on her paper, it was mostly filled with drawings in the end.

Izuna bowed her head slightly, receiving another ovation. As she straightened up, she smiled at the crowd. One person caught her eye.

A woman stood in the back, wearing a dark hood. It didn't seem like a summoner robe. She remained quiet and still as Izuna moved back towards her classmates, receiving another hug from her friend, who was behind her in the second row. A sad look came onto her face.

"H-hey Jack?" she said quietly.

The headmaster began speaking again, causing both to go quiet before they could speak. The rest of the ceremony went by smoothly. Each student was being called in order, being handed their diploma from the academy, and shaking Ozu's and the other man's hand. Izuna stood next in line. She stared back at her friend after having been unable to talk the entire time.

"Izuna Nakano," Headmaster Ozu said.

Izuna walked forward with her head towards the ground. As she looked up, she saw that the man who held her diploma wasn't the headmaster; instead, her guardian and teacher, Joey, held the paper. He handed her the diploma as he gave her a quick hug.

"I've said it a lot lately but I'm proud to see how well you've grown up, Izuna," Joey said, smiling at his daughter.

Surely he had requested to do that. She felt herself unable to speak, leaving herself to only smile and continue walking. As she stood with the rest of her class, her eyes went back onto the hooded person, who seemed fixated on her. She was oddly placed, taller than most other women but no one seemed to notice.

As headmaster Ozu delivered his final speech, the crowd and students erupted into cheers. The woman in black seemed to dissipate into the crowd.

"Congratulations."

* * *

"So she is a Demacian citizen, correct?" The woman said, staring up at them.

"She will be," Joey said, handing the woman a document. "This is the paperwork for the process."

Izuna stood beside Joey as the woman filled in her paperwork for her Summoner's license. She had done most by herself aside from the citizenship part. The woman quickly continued writing. She nodded and looked up at them again.

"Everything seems in order... Look over that, see if everything is alright," the woman said, turning the paper around.

Izuna leaned down and skimmed the paper. Everything seemed correct...until something stood out as very wrong. She turned the paper back around and pointed at the section.

"I haven't done my placement matches... It says silver on this," Izuna said, pushing the paper forward.

"Headmaster Ozu told me to place you and four other into the higher ranks for passing the advanced placement match offered to the top students," the woman said. "Everything is correct then?"

"Y-yeah, it's all correct," Izuna said, nodding.

"Very well, congratulations Izuna, you're now a licensed summoner," the woman said, smiling, handing her an envelope marked with the seal of the institute.

The girl walked out of the office, happily holding the sealed envelope as she walked alongside her guardian. This part of institute was very quiet as most students headed towards the commissary area with their families to celebrate after filling out the paperwork. A flash of pink followed by a purple dress filled her view as she was quickly wrapped in a continually tightening hug.

"My little Izuna is all grown up now, all ready to settle diplomatic problems and stuff," Vi said, releasing the girl, who let out a desperate breath of air.

"Let the girl breath Vi, you don't know your own strength," Caitlyn said, pulling her partner back. She bowed in respect. "Good afternoon, professor Nakano."

"No need to be so formal, Joey is fine. Thank you both for coming all the way from Piltover," Joey said, giving a small wave. "If anything, I should be showing more respect to champions of the league."

"It was no big deal, it's nice to see the future summoners," Vi said, grabbing Izuna's shoulders. "Shouldn't you be celebrating with all your friends?"

"Everyone beat me to the line and then some stuff came up. We were on our way now. Are you guys coming too?" Izuna said, looking at both the officers. Something quickly snapped in her mind. "Did you guys see a woman in a dark robe standing near where you were?"

"Yeah. What about her?" Caitlyn asked. Her accent made her sound more worried than she probably was at that point.

"I don't know... She seemed to be staring at me. I thought maybe you guys saw or heard anything; it was kind of creeping me out," Izuna said, laughing slightly to avoid being embarrassed.

"She seemed familiar. I didn't think much of it," Vi said, crossing her arms.

"Anyway, to answer your first question, I can't. I have business to attend to in Piltover, I'm afraid. Unlike my relaxed partner here," Caityn teased. "I just wanted to say goodbye to both of you before I leave."

"She has a hot date with pretty boy Jayce," Vi said, crossing her arms around Izuna's shoulders. The new summoner smiled at their relationship together. At a first glance, you would never guess they'd ever get along, much less fight crime together.

"Very funny, I'll see you back the the office later Vi," Caitlyn said, glaring at the enforcer. She gave a small wave to the group as she took off into the maze of corridors.

"We should get going then, I don't suppose they would save any food for us if I know how much my former students can eat," Joey said, raising a hand to his face and giving Izuna a look and smirk. "Well, maybe since you're not there yet."

He received a jab for his witty remark.

* * *

The commissary had been lavishly decorated for the celebration. It was another reminder to Izuna about the obvious wealth of most people who attended the academy. Many of the parents donated hefty sums of money as alumni or just general supporters of the league. As the man walked in with the two pink haired girls, they were immediately stopped by a familiar face.

"I was wondering where you guys went, took you long enough," Jack said, slowing down from a slight dash.

"Impatient as always, aren't you?" Joey said, patting Izuna's head. "Izuna decided to be the last person in line and then we ran into Caitlyn and Vi. Caitlyn had some busines-"

"A hot date," Vi quickly said, interrupting the man.

"In Piltover to attend to and couldn't stay," Joey said, ignoring the woman, keeping his composure and only breaking a smile.

"Sounds like her," Jack said. "Whenever she is too busy to be summoned, there's always Vayne to kick my ass. There's a few seats by where my family and I are sitting if you guys want to sit with us."

"Let's go, I'm starving," Vi exclaimed. It was a weird sight to see her without her hextech gauntlets. It was likely to assume everyone had the same question of where she stored them.

"You assume just because you're a champion of the league you'll get food for the graduates?" Joey said, looking at the woman. When Vi gave him a distressed look, he waved his hand and told her of his joke, much to her relief.

They followed Jack towards where his family and himself were sitting. Izuna prepared herself mentally; she had never met his parents or heard much about them aside from his father being involved in the military.

Jack sat besides a decorated man, adorned in what looked like armor from a war long ago and a woman in an elegant but intimidating dress. Her silver eyes seemed to penetrate her soul as she sat across from her, between her father and champion. The man immediately spoke up.

"Joseph, it sure has been quite a while since I last saw you," the man said, his voice gravelly. His voice reminded Izuna of Graves except deeper. His hand was extended.

"Indeed it has, Thomas, surely you knew I was Jack's teacher," Joey said, shaking the hand as he took his seat. "This is my daughter, Izuna."

"Nice to meet you sir, ma'am," Izuna said, meekly waving. She sure wasn't dressed for a celebratory dinner; she had immediately taken off her robe when she went to fill out the paperwork leaving her in a casual dress. It wasn't the worst, she thought.

"So you're the mysterious child found by Noxus?" The man, Thomas, said. His wife stared at him in shock. He quickly turned to her and spoke again. "I'm sure eighteen years is enough to know that."

"Y-yes I am," Izuna said. God, he was intimidating. It wasn't hard to imagine him being a part of the Noxian military. It seemed facial scars were uniform for them. Give the man an axe and a different hairstyle and he could've passed as the hand of Noxus himself.

"She was. Now she's a citizen of Demacia and a full fledged summoner," Joey added, giving the man a stare.

"You must be proud of her. Graduating top of her class, five years younger than everyone else," the woman said. A silence overtook their table until the boy quickly spoke up.

"L-let's go get some food," Jack said, motioning at Izuna and Vi.

The boy quickly stood up, followed by the starving officer and the pink haired girl. He slowed to a halt when they had turned a corner and he turned to Izuna.

"Don't take anything he says to heart, he's an old fashioned man. Kinda the reason why I stayed in the academy for most holidays," Jack said, giving her a serious look.

"I didn't. You don't have to worry," Izuna said. She had almost never seen Jack be this serious looking; it seemed his eyes looked darker as they stared at her.

"He has the idea that you should've been a summoner from Noxus since you were found closer to Noxus than Demacia," Jack said, as they continued to walk. "Especially after hearing how crazy smart you are."

"Summoners are a neutral force though. Why does it matter where I'm from?" Izuna asked.

"I guess that's what he meant by old school. Imagine if you only had access to champions or matches from your own city state? It'd be like having wars and the league would be completely useless," Vi chimed in. "Whenever I'm in a match with Jinx on my team, I have to resist the urge to smash her face in until after because I know why I'm in the field of justice in the first place, even if she's just here to shoot people."

"I see. Thanks for the warning Jack. Now let's get food before Vi gets out of control," Izuna said, jokingly, earning her a jab from the enforcer. Her 'playful jabs' with the gauntlets felt like regular punches, it was a nice change to have her regular hands do the honor. Still hurt, though.

* * *

Joey sat across from the Noxian couple. He ran his hand through his shoulder length hair and let out a sigh. He decided to speak first.

"I assume Jack told you about the advanced placement match he and his team won?" Joey asked, crossing his arms on the table.

"Yes he did, I expect no less from my son," The man said, grinning.

"Jack really did come around, he used to be so reckless. Izuna and Vi had to babysit him since he would try to fight everyone by himself," Joey said, recalling previous years.

"Her speech was awfully short. It was a nice little motivator, it seemed," the woman said, grinning. Her piercing eyes stared at the teacher as she rested her head on her hands.

"Why did you bring up Izuna being that child? She doesn't particularly love being reminded about that," Joey said, getting a cold stare towards the Noxian man.

"I was just asking. Jack had told me that girl was in his class. So she's a Demacian now?" Thomas asked, taking a sip of whatever he was drinking. Joey didn't smell alcohol so he guessed his judgement was clear.

"Yes but that doesn't matter. Summoners are meant to defend whatever they feel is right, I taught all of my students that," Joey said. "Izuna was no exception, she was my student first when she was in the classroom."

"You know that's a damn lie, Joey. Those days will soon be over. A citizen should defend its land. Even you Demacians should understand that," The man said, sitting forward slightly.

The Noxian man was almost twice the size of Joey. Joey smirked as he turned to see the obvious two pink haired characters walking towards them again, easily unable to be hidden by a crowd. He coolly turned back to the Noxian and spoke.

"The kids are coming back. Stop talking about your nonexistent league of war," Joey said. "Let them at least enjoy their graduation day; you can try to change the world tomorrow, can't you?"

The man smirked and nodded. His wife, who had seemed to go invisible, put on a smile for the kids.

* * *

Izuna sat silently on a bench in the center of the institute, where a small park like area was set for the relaxation of summoners and champions alike. She spotted the three ninjas of the Kinkou order stretching as they prepared for the rigorous morning training regiment they always did.

As she shook her head from the thought of ever having to run this early, she was approached by her guardian, who had left her a note the previous night. He sat beside her.

"Good morning Joey," Izuna said, happily.

"Good morning Izuna, did you have fun yesterday?," Joey said, looking at the girl.

"It was nice. Jack's parents seemed pretty intimidating," Izuna said, nervously.

"There's a few things I want to let you know Izuna..." Joey began, closing his eyes for a second before continuing. "Just know this is all worst case scenario, I could be completely wrong but there's a possibility some of your friends will be more distant as you begin to be summoners. Take Jack for example..."

"What about him?" Izuna said, feeling slightly offended and confused.

"Maybe you don't know or remember, but his father is a wealthy Noxian war hero from before the league was formed. He might be a summoner primarily for Noxian issues," he started. "You're legally the daughter of a Demacian teacher, you'll be chosen to settle Demacian issues when such arise. You see where I'm going with this? It seems after the introduction of our academy, summoner neutrality is quickly fading. "

"I suppose..." Izuna said, lazily crossing her arms. She remembered what Jack and Vi had said the previous day. The thoughts of her father being right and one of her only friends having to completely ignore her filled her head quickly, giving her no opportunity to try and think of something else.

Joey prepared to say something until he turned and saw Izuna. Her head was lowered and he could see tears rolling down her face. He placed his hand on her hair as she clutched his robe and sat silently.

"You don't have to be a summoner Izuna, it's your life, I'll support you no matter what. I just did what I thought was best for you twelve years ago," He began. "You're young and smart."

Izuna let go of the robe and wiped her eyes with her sleeve. She put a grin on her face.

"I'm good at this... Thanks for the heads up Joey," she said. "So I just wait to be chosen for a match?"

"I doubt you newer summoners will get chosen for serious matters. For now, you can continue practicing or keep going in the ranking system," he suggested.

"I'll think about that... I'm going to my room for a bit," Izuna said, yawning slightly. She had to wake up a bit early to speak to Joey as he still had some academy related work to finish up. If he wanted to enjoy his summer to the fullest, he'd have to finish his final work early.

"Sorry to have made you wake up so early. I didn't think of another time I'd have as much free time today," Joey responded, giving her a wave.

She stood up and waved at the man as she began to walk towards the residential area of the institution. As her room came into her sights, she began to feel an odd breeze. She rubbed her arms as she slowly opened her door. She felt another presence; she wasn't alone in the room and she knew it.

"You're the reason why it's so cold in here," Izuna said, closing the door behind her.

"You've grown up to be quite smart, Izuna," said the hooded woman sitting on her bed. White strands of straight hair flowed down the sides of her shrouded face. She looked familiar.

"Who are you?" Izuna said, standing with her back pressed against the door. Inside, she was freaking out but kept calm. The woman motioned for her to sit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here is chapter 3 and some more info!**

**I made the story category general because I do want it to be a bit of everything: adventure, mystery, some romance, friendship. Another thing I've started to do is to have multiple things happening at once, different arcs. I'll try to keep it clear of where the story goes when it switches settings.**

**Anyway, here is some more filler and cliffhangers that I call a story, enjoy!**

* * *

"Who are you?" Izuna said, standing with her back pressed against the door. Inside, she was freaking out but kept calm. The woman motioned for her to sit. The girl obliged.

"That's not important. Are you all ready to defend that pathetic city state that you belong to now?" The woman said, raising a hand to her face. She crossed her legs gracefully. What little bit of her face Izuna could see was clear, beautiful but very pale skin, looking almost white.

"I suppose so. Why are you here? I don't know who you are," Izuna said, crossing her arms.

"Everything will become clear when the time is right Izuna. You have the potential to become one of the strongest champions of the League and you waste your talents on being a summoner, it's sad to see wasted potential," she said, releasing a long, heavy sigh as she finished. "You could practically take over this place alongside me."

"I'm fine the way I am lady. Please leave me be, I have a match to prepare for tonight," Izuna said, standing up. She turned to open the door. She felt cold hands on her shoulders and saw the white face over her shoulder. She tried to tilt her head in an attempt to see her whole face but couldn't bring herself move at all.

"Lying will get you into trouble darling," the woman said. Izuna felt her skin tighten from the cold presence. "You won't be kept in the dark for long my dear." The woman's arms had wrapped around her neck.

"Just keep in mind: you don't have to be a summoner like these fools. You can be much more. Your powers could overwhelm even the strongest summoner in Valoran," she said, running her cold fingers down Izuna's warm cheek. "I suggest keeping this to yourself, unwanted attention could get you hurt, dear."

Izuna felt the hands disappear and she quickly turned around to respond. The woman had banished from her sights. Izuna immediately fell onto her knees and grabbed her arms. The shock of the situation finally hit her.

'How did she know I was lying?'

* * *

"Joey, you're still here?" A woman said, peering through a small opening in his classroom door.

"Still finishing up some personal things, why are you still here Catherine?" Joey said, turning on his chair to face the door. "Thought you would've been long gone."

A slender brown haired woman stood by the door still dressed in her robes from the ceremony. She was the teacher of the eleventh year students with a classroom near Joey's. She walked over and sat on the edge of his large, wooden desk.

"Same thing you're doing here," She responded, stretching hers arms. "I didn't have any time to finish my paperwork after the graduation, who could resist the free food?"

"Sounds like you," Joey responded, earning a glare from the slender woman.

"Still a romantic, I see? Still, it's always weird to see those brats in those robes ever year. You're going to have fun next year, one of the largest classes since the academy began is coming your way," Catherine said, making a slight face. "It's also hard to believe they beat us yesterday... I wasn't expecting it."

"It was. I had thought Izuna and Vi would've gone to the elder lizard first... But I don't think we did anything wrong. They were good together. I'm sure we will see their team again someday," Joey said, placing a framed picture on his desk. "Maybe we will get a chance to go against them again."

"It was nice getting the old team back together. Sure had been a while since I'd done anything but teach about summoning. Good thing Ashe didn't completely forget about me," The woman said, hopping off the desk. She moved over beside him and looked at the photo.

Joey finished packing whatever papers lingered inside his desk cabinets and slowly stood up. He swung his bag over his shoulder. He noticed what the woman was looking at.

"I didn't want to embarrass her," he said, looking at the picture. He picked it up again.

It was a small picture of Izuna and himself nine years ago during her first summer as a student and his as a teacher. They had gone to spend a few days in Piltover and discovered a small shop from a graduate student of Heimerdinger's Yordle Academy of Science and Progress who decided painting portraits took far too long. For the machine being a prototype, the so called 'picture' came out very clear.

"You two are too adorable," Catherine said, playfully pinching his lightly bearded cheeks. She motioned towards the door before pivoting on her heels back towards him. "Do you two want to have dinner at my place tomorrow?"

"Sure, that sounds nice. Thank you," Joey said, walking next to her.

His hand moved along the wall until it found the light switch, flicking it down and closing the door for the summer.

* * *

Izuna sat on her bed, half an hour after her encounter with the unknown woman. She had sat in silence and had only managed to change clothes. She hung her new robe on a hangar for whenever she would need it and put on a light dress that resembled Ashe's signature outfit.

After she wondered why she mainly owned dresses, she tossed herself on the bed.

"What is there to do now," she said to herself, yawning.

"Izuna?" came a voice, accompanied by a few knocks.

The pink haired girl jumped up, startled still. She moved to the door and slowly opened it, instantly becoming more relaxed.

"Good morning Izuna, did I wake you?" Her former classmate Melissa said, bowing down slightly.

"Uhh no, I was probably going to fall asleep out of boredom soon. Want to come in?" Izuna asked, moving aside, pulling the door open.

"Yes, thank you," the brunette girl said, walking inside.

"I'm sorry for the mess, I haven't had the time to clean," Izuna said, as the Ionian passed her.

"It's alright Joey," she joked at the fact that the room was near spotless, aside from a wrinkled bed.

Melissa had always dressed well. Izuna wasn't sure if she was dressed casually or formally; Ionian clothing always looked formal to her. It looked like a dress at a first glance but to a closer gaze it was a type called a kimono. She had seen Akali wearing a fancy one on occasion, moving swiftly as always despite it looking like it would obstruct movement. Melissa took a seat on the bed, crossing her legs as she sat.

"Are you enjoying your time without the worry of school, Izuna?" Melissa said, resting on her arms.

"Yeah. Kinda boring though, I was used to the routine of homework and sleep for so long now," Izuna said, leaning against her desk.

"I bet you're wondering why I came here so out of the blue," the Ionian said, running a hand through her hair and flashing a smile, tucking a strand behind her right ear. Izuna nodded with a small laugh. "I know we have rarely spoken throughout our years at the academy but I have always admired how you act during our matches. I don't doubt you got placed as high as Joey probably did. I was placed in middle bronze level."

Izuna opened up her envelope from the night before again and looked at it. The silver icon on top right of the small card shone in the dim lighting and she read under. It said 'SILVER II', something she hadn't noticed. She handed Melissa the card, who was raising her head slightly.

"I didn't expect anything less... You look adorable," Melissa said, after looking at the small picture on the top left of the license and then looking up at the blushing Izuna. "I was wondering if you would want to do ranked matches together. Two people can go in together unless there are five going in as a team."

"Of course, sounds fun," Izuna said, smiling. She wouldn't deny a chance to make a friend that she would be seeing often anyway.

"I wish we had had a chance to speak more during school. I didn't want to bother you; you always seemed so focused on your work so I left you alone," Melissa said, motioning for the to sit beside her. Izuna obliged, sitting on her bed.

"I was probably trying to ignore Jack. He never stopped talking to me and somehow our teachers would never tell him to be quiet," Izuna said, making a face as she sighed. He would also never admit he was entertaining the entire time, to anyone nor him.

"Are you interested in him?" The girl asked, turning to face her. Before Izuna could speak, Melissa's face was only about an inch away from hers. "You're eyes are a gorgeous shade of green."

"T-thanks," Izuna said, feeling herself blush. "I don't know. I've always been too preoccupied with my studies to think about relationships."

"Sounds like you, Ms. Top of the class," Melissa said, raising her arms and arching her back in a stretch. She released a yawn, quickly covering her mouth.

Izuna's eyes landed on her chest; staring in a bit of envy. With blue hair, Melissa could pass as a clone of Sona. She lowered her eyes onto her own chest. Even if she dressed like the frost archer, the Freljordian queen's curves and bust filled the dress more than she did. Melissa's left eye opened and she smirk, having read Izuna's envious green eyes like a book.

"Are you sure you're not just more into women than men?" Melissa said, giggling slightly. She brought her arms down onto the bed.

"N-no. I-I just," Izuna stuttered before being grabbed by the brunette.

The pink haired summoner was pushed down onto her bed and her new partner now hovered over her. Izuna could feel her heart beating each time it did as the Ionian seemed to come closer. Izuna gulped and closed her eyes.

In the dark, she felt her body lighten as the girl sat up and laughed lightly. Izuna opened her eyes to see Melissa sitting up, ready to stand.

"You're adorable Izuna, I will see you later," Melissa said, giggling slightly.

"O-okay," Izuna said, halfheartedly pulling herself up onto her elbows. "Goodbye Melissa."

"Call me Mel," The Ionian said, exiting the room with a wave.

Izuna laid back down and let out the breath she'd been holding for almost half a minute. Her face continued to feel warm until she closed her eyes and eventually fell asleep. Her first prolonged conversation with Mel sure had gone differently than she would have imagine.

* * *

The bright lights of Piltover shone outside of the window that the pink haired enforcer was leaning over. She sat on a rolling desk chair in Caitlyn's office as the sheriff was working on some paperwork; a task she had gotten used to doing alone while the enforcer bothered her. She looked up at the woman.

"Vi, what's wrong?" Caitlyn asked, sighing. Vi being extremely quiet: either something (or someone) was broken or something was bothering her.

"Do you know anything about that woman Izuna was talking about?" Vi asked, turning on her chair.

"A woman dressed in a robe with white hair. No, I don't Vi," Caitlyn said, resting her head on her palm. "Aside from seeing her there, I don't."

"I felt like I've seen her before. Somewhere," Vi began, crossing her arms.

"Maybe she was a champion. Many champions were there besides us, Vi," Caitlyn said, returning to her papers. "Maybe it was Sejuani and she didn't want anyone knowing that her hair was white."

"I don't pay attention to champions unless I'm directly against them Cait," Vi began. "She seemed to frail to fight the jungle monsters... Plus Sejuani doesn't seem very festive."

"Just because you haven't faced them doesn't mean they might not be able to... I remember a summoner that summoned Annie as the jungler," Caitlyn began, making a serious face. "Most of us were surprised it worked decently, that tiny pyro sure is versatile. What about top?"

"That rarely happens... Whenever it does I'm usually against that stupid alligator or that annoying jumping-dashing exile chick," Vi began, raising her arms. She pretended to swing her arms, pretending to be swinging a sword. "What is broken can be reforged blah blah." She said mockingly.

"I don't think that woman was Riven. Do you remember how short her hair is... And what do you have against Riven anyway?" Caitlyn asked, closing one eye slightly.

"She's so anno- that's not the point here! We need to keep an eye out, I want to go speak with Izuna tomorrow," Vi said, raising her feet onto Caitlyn's desk, knowing it agitated her. "If she felt creeped out, that's enough reason for me to look into it."

The sheriff gave her an annoyed look and Vi returned a giant smile. Her way of 'asking permission' almost never failed.

"A few days without your smashing through walls to do any task? Maybe Piltover will finally be able to pay off the construction workers that have to rebuild every week," Caitlyn said, jokingly. Vi gave her a sour look.

Her full proof way to get permission never came without an accented, witty remark either.

* * *

Izuna and Joey walked down the hall towards Catherine's room. Joey had told Izuna about her invitation and she immediately agreed to go. He had come to get her a few minutes before they were due at the room.

The pink haired girl stared at her father with a smile. He looked much more handsome when he wore something other than his robes. He wore a dark gray vest with a matching tie and simple black slacks. Izuna meanwhile stared at herself wondering if she had done the right decision by wearing the same thing from the previous night since she had immediately changed after Mel had left. Catherine had mentioned she liked it due to her affinity with Ashe and it wasn't too worn so she quickly agreed to herself it was a good decision.

"How's summer treating you so far? Only have a few more days till you can start practicing again," Joey asked, walking with his hands in his pockets. Aside from that, only the sounds of their shoes tapping as they walked filled the air.

"It's pretty boring. Melissa asked me to be her partner in ranked," Izuna responded.

"She's great. You'll work well with her. I'm sure her lane will always be cleared of wards. Personally, I think she should've been in Silver with you...but then again, I'm not a council member," Joey said, smiling. "Remember what I taught you: Warding is everyone's job."

"She seemed nice, a little odd though," Izuna said, remembering her...very forward actions. She felt herself begin to blush from the thoughts. She quickly shook her head. "Yeah, everyone drilled it into my head to always have a ward."

"Most people say they learned and still never do it... Here we are... You haven't seen Catherine in a while have you?" Joey asked, knocking on the door.

"I didn't see her at graduation or the celebration... Haven't seen her for months before that," Izuna said, shaking her head.

The woman quickly came to the door, letting out an aroma of pure delight. Izuna glanced at her sleek, black dress; a dress that Izuna was sure she wouldn't be able to wear due to her lacking in the breast department.

_'Seems like every summoner and champion is busty... Well, maybe not Annie...yet.'_

"Oh, Izuna, it's been so long since we've had a chance to talk, you looked great during graduation," Catherine said, giving the girl a tight hug, stopping the train of thoughts that would end up with a teenage Annie. After, she moved aside and the two entered the room.

The room seemed exactly like Izuna remembered it. Like her classroom, it was very clean and polished. The table had been set nicely, with a vase of some flowers in the center.

"Thank you, Ms. Catherine, and thank you for inviting us over," Izuna said, bowing slightly.

"No need to be so formal Izuna, you guys are like family to me," the woman said, walking over to the kitchen. "Take a seat, I will be right there."

Izuna quickly sat in one of the four seats and looked over at the small kitchen area. Catherine, followed by Joey, came out, holding an array of plates and a few cups. As Joey lowered the plates down, she could begin to smell the food underneath the cover. Catherine ducked back into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of wine, and both of the sat down in the remaining chairs.

As Catherine lifted the metal bowls that covered the food, Izuna found that she had guessed right. There was a variety of cooked meats and she quickly noticed the end pieces were heavily charred; her favorite style of cooked meat. Aside that was bread but not an ordinary bread; Ionian bread made by a the nine tailed fox herself. The woman always seemed to have some at her disposal, despite the long travel time from Ionia to the institute.

"This looks delicious, I forgot you could cook," Joey said, jokingly.

"Of course I can," she said, making a face at his joke. She turned to Izuna. "Joey told me you were placed in Silver. That's impressive."

"Yeah... Melissa and I agreed to be partners when the practice matches are open to us," Izuna said, as the woman passed the plate of food around. She smiled to herself, seeing the charred part had been left for her.

"I remember Mel. She did well when we faced each other," Catherine said, bringing a hand to her cheek. "It's nice to see a year with Joey didn't completely rot your brains."

"Hopefully they haven't forgotten anything they've learned," Joey said, ignoring her remark. "They'll need it now more than ever."

The room fell silent with the only sound being the forks and knives hitting the plates. Izuna ate slowly, like usual, until her eyes moved to the door as someone knocked. Everyone did the same as it broke the silence.

"I wonder who that could be..." Catherine said, looking surprised. Everyone was, it was pretty late.

The woman opened the door to reveal a tall, pink haired woman dressed in her usual armor.

"I need to talk with Izuna, is she here?" She asked Catherine.

"Vi, what happened?" Izuna asked, walking over to the door as soon as she saw the pink haired enforcer. Vi grabbed the girl's hand.

"I'll bring her back in a minute," Vi said, walking away with the girl.

"W-wait!" Catherine said, turning to Joey after the enforcer ran off. "Should we go after them?"

"No, Vi will keep her safe if anything happens," Joey began, remaining seated. "Must be pretty urgent to come here from Piltover at this hour."

"I guess... I hope everything is alright," Catherine said, walking back to her seat. "You sound pretty relaxed for someone who's daughter was taken by a champion in a split second."

"If a wall can't stop a dedicated Vi, what makes you think I can?" He said, smirking.

* * *

Vi slowed down at the small courtyard area where Izuna was a day ago. The girl took a seat and caught her breath. She hadn't been planning to run tonight. Vi stood in front of her.

"What's wrong?" Izuna asked.

"I can't get that worried feeling out of my head Izuna, that woman you saw in the crowd, she seemed too familiar to ignore," Vi said, crossing her arms. She sat beside the summoner. Her hand raised to her left cheek, covering the iconic tattoo on her face.

"I'll be okay Vi, don't worry. This is the safest place for a summoner to be, after all," Izuna replied, unsure of what really to say. She bit her tongue as she remembered what the woman had said.

_"I suggest keeping this to yourself, unwanted attention could get you hurt, dear."_

"I'm going to stay here for tonight, it's too late for me to go to Piltover tonight anyway," Vi said, pulling herself up. She extended her hand to the summoner, who grabbed it and stood up as well. "Mind me crashing with you for the night?"

"Of course not," Izuna said, smiling. She let out a yawn out of nowhere and turned around. "Guess I'll let Joey know that I'm going to bed early... We might have a match tomorrow."

"I guess this visit seemed kinda random and dumb huh?" Vi said, as they began to walk. "I randomly show up and be worried for no reason."

"Of course not! Thanks for worrying about me Vi..." Izuna said, sighing to herself. _'You don't know how safer I feel.'_

The pink haired duo continued walking back into the darkened halls of the institute.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hehe, here is chapter four. In regards to the last chapter, more explanation on that in this chapter. While I don't think last chapter was much of a cliffhanger but you hate them, you will hate this chapter.**

**I decided I will try to update every Monday. I keep a chapter ahead to have a week to improve it and write another one (Right now I have chapter 5 pretty much finished and will keep editing it throughout the week while also starting 6.)**

**I'm**** worried of it happening so just in case: Zzz should be a line break, /I/ means italics, and anything in (?) needed research. I write on an iPad so I do those notes for when I transfer to FF.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

K_nock, knock, knock._

The pink haired girl turned in her bed, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Not now..."

_Knock, knock, knock. _

The pink haired woman turned her head. Her nose twitched.

"I'll break your sword again..."

The door slowly creaked open and closed just as slowly. The brown haired girl, dressed in her robe, knelt alongside the bed with an eyebrows raised. A barely covered Vi, not counting the blanket, laid beside the smaller, blanket-covered body. Strands of pink hair flowed from underneath.

"Well, this would be a sight for Jack to behold..." Mel said, giggling to herself. She shook Izuna. "Izuna, wake up."

"Get dunke- huh?" Vi said, sitting up quickly. She rubbed her eyes after the initial shock of the shake wore off. Her eyes locked on Mel, looking embarrassed. "H-hey!"

"Good morning miss Vi, my name is Melissa, I was with Izuna during our advanced placement match; I was with Sona," Mel said, bowing her head in respect to the champion. "Izuna and I were going to practice together."

"Oh..." Vi said. She lowered the sheet, revealing the sleeping summoner. Izuna remained immobile. Vi grabbed her face and shook her more violently than Mel had. "Wake up."

Izuna sat up as soon as her face was released, stretching her arms in the air. Her eyes opened to a smiling Mel and an underdressed Vi. Her face reddened slightly.

"I got here a little early, I wasn't sure if you would sleep in or not," Mel said, sitting on the foot of the bed.

"I figured I'd wake up earlier. I went to sleep pretty early last night," Izuna said, swinging her legs over and sitting on the side of the bed. She had fallen asleep wearing her Ashe dress causing it to be wrinkled and out of commission for a while.

"We have an hour until the lobbies are open, take your time," Mel said, standing up and walking around the room.

"Guess that means I have a bit longer to wait then," Vi said excitedly, crossing her arms behind her head. She looked down at herself. "Or I can just show up to the fields of justice like this."

"I don't think my rune book would be enough to protect you then," Izuna said, laughing. She also stood up and moved to her hung robe, beginning to pull off her dress until she turned her head back and quickly stopped. Vi pulled herself up on her elbows and Mel eventually turned back around. "T-turn back around."

"What's the matter? We're all girls, we've all seen bras before... And if you haven't before, you have now," Vi said, giving her usual smile. She always seemed cocky for some reason when she smiled that way.

"I know. I'm not wearing one," Izuna said, continuing to hold the dress up. Unless the frost archer wore a very strange bra, the dress seemed to have its own support. A bra would only be seen from the back.

"Oh my Izuna, I didn't know you were like that, you vixen," Mel said, giggling, before sitting on the bed, turned away. Vi did the same, smiling at her clear embarrassment.

"I- I hate both of you right now," Izuna said, officially starting to change.

* * *

"So how exactly does this all work?" Izuna asked.

All dressed in her usual robe, she walked alongside her Ionian friend through the semi crowded halls of the Institute of War. Melissa was dressed like her, wearing her hair in a ponytail that draped over her right shoulder. Even if that hairstyle was usually just used a quick fix for a bad hair day, the girl looked as beautiful as always, radiating her signature elegance.

"We have to fill in a form to be placed in a queue with other people. Some might already be waiting for us. Do you remember what we learned about champion banning?" Mel asked. Izuna meekly shook her head. "This must've been while you were dozing off, they taught us this near the end. Each captain has to ban three champions each, six total, that neither side can use. That's why they taught us it's good to be versatile, connect with more than one champion and adapt to what the team needs."

"Guess Joey drilled those sayings into your head huh?" Izuna asked, laughing slightly.

"Of course," Mel said, returning a smile. "Have you connect with champions besides Vi?"

"Of course... Just Vi is the only one that seemed to like me the most back. Guess the pink hair thing made me stick out," Izuna said, jokingly. While she primarily preferred to be the team jungler, she wasn't the worst at other roles. She had connected with a few champions; some very willing to trust new summoners, such as Ashe and Nasus, and a few that were a bit more stubborn until she proved herself 'worthy', like the Du Couteau sisters.

"That's good. Some people might not be so willing to be flexible. It's easier to them have their way than the argue and lower team morale," Mel said, as they finally reached the room.

A few robed figures filled the room, some she recognized while others were completely new to her. Mel had told her any former student or teacher can participate in practice. Izuna followed Mel as she was handed a paper from a woman sitting behind a desk.

"You two are together?" She asked. Mel nodded. "Just write both your names in the first line."

Mel moved the pen across the paper quickly, leaving behind penmanship that stunned Izuna. Her mood dampened quickly; her grades were top of the class but her handwriting resembled something regurgitated by Kog'Maw. Mel slid the paper back to the woman.

"Nakano, Izuna... Kirei, Melissa... Alright, go inside the second room, you're team is waiting for you," the woman said.

"Oh that was quick, thank you." Mel said, bowing slightly. She grabbed Izuna's hand. "Let's go."

Izuna nodded slowly and followed. She turned around and wondered why the people before them had to keep waiting. Suddenly, a question came to her.

"What if our champions are needed for an official match?" She asked.

"Our practice match becomes null and void if the match is of urgency, otherwise we can continue. If our match gets cancelled, it won't count against us in any way," Mel explained.

"You sure did your research," Izuna said, as they entered the final room.

"I like to know what I'm getting myself into," Mel said, smiling. She winked. "Your face is adorable when you are listening."

Izuna reddened at the very odd compliment. She never noticed how she looked when she was listening.

Inside the dark summoning chamber stood three boys in similar robes. They all exchanged greetings as the two girls went into their positions. One boy, the one who was the captain, spoke up.

"You two just graduated huh? Are either of you good at supporting?" The boy asked, in a nice voice. Mel raised her hand slightly. He turned to Izuna. "What are you comfortable with?"

"I'm usually a jungler if it's available," Izuna said, meekly. The boy seemed older than Mel, which made him intimidating to her. He knew what he was doing and how everything worked around here. He flashed a smile.

"That's good, you can be our jungler, I will switch to ADC," he said. While he spoke, he was the only one who had summoned a white orb in front of himself; he had been banning champions, like Mel had told her.

Izuna turned to the screen on the wall that showed everyone, a technological feat given to the league by Piltover. She saw under their side under a section that read BAN: was Kassadin, Fizz, and Thresh. The other team had banned Shen, Blitzcrank, ('_Good_,' thought Izuna to herself.) and Malphite. When she saw the Shen being taken, she thought back on her classmate Joey but quickly negated the thought, he would do well with almost any champion.

"Let's do our best everyone," the captain said. The two silent boys nodded as everyone began to prepare to summon their champions.

Doing the same hand motions she had practiced for a little over a decade, Izuna prepared herself for her first match in a while. Her eyes lit up and a smirk came to her face as she saw the enemies first champion: Draven.

* * *

The blond boy walked through the wooden door without knocking, tossing an unknown bag towards the woman in the purple dress. She looked up as the boy sat down.

"How did it go this time?" Caitlyn asked, putting her papers aside.

"The same as always; uneventful and boring," Ezreal said, crossing his arms. "I don't see how this stuff is vital for Piltover's prospering."

"Neither do I. Jayce says it's something to do with replacing electricity," the sheriff said, moving the bag onto the floor. It contained some unknown to them stones from the waters between Piltover and Zaun. Caitlyn had asked Ezreal to get some weekly since he had previously explored that area already. The kid sure was resourceful for being younger than most champions.

"Where's Vi?" Ezreal asked, looking around. He seemed disappointed in himself that he hadn't notice the missing enforcer. It was hard to miss a pink haired woman tackling you.

"The Institute. She had a bad feeling about this woman that Izuna saw at the graduation a few days ago. You weren't there, where you?" Caitlyn asked, slowly returning to her work, like clockwork.

"That summoner she's always with?" Ezreal asked. "What's so special about her?"

"She's a summoner?... She's smart probably as smart as you in her own field," Caitlyn began. "Vi had one of her hunches and she acted on it; a little peace and quiet every now and then is nice."

"I mean why is Vi so attached to this one girl? There's hundreds of summoners; I can barely remember any of them," Ezreal said, putting his feet on the sheriff's wooden desk.

"I'm sure she has her reasons, whatever they might be. Maybe it's the pink hair," Caitlyn said, pushing his feet off the table. "Speaking of girls; how are you and Lux doing?"

"Well, it's time for me to get going," the blond explorer said, pushing himself up from the chair. "I'll see you later Cait."

"Everyone knows about you two, Ez," Caitlyn said, in a sing song voice as the boy walked towards the door.

"Don't believe rumors, a detective like you should know that," Ezreal said, before leaving the room.

"It's hard to be so mysterious when you girlfriend breaks into giggles when you bring it up, you idiot," Caitlyn said to herself, with a smile as she returned to her work.

* * *

Vi walked with her fists raised, bouncing along with her steps as she walked down the river. She smirked to herself as she headed into the enemy side of the rift and began pounding her fists at the massive golem.

"Just how I like my matches; total control," Vi said, continually pounding the monster.

_'Nice to know we still got it,'_ Izuna responded. She moved her hand and casted her own spell, felling the golem. Vi moved onwards with the spiral blue runic symbols now around her feet.

Izuna scanned the area ahead. Like her last game, they were in full control and were now pushing down the center lane. They had succeeded in shutting down most members of the enemy team, aside from the enemy LeBlanc, who had managed to shut down their Varus every time whenever a fight broke down.

_'Everyone group up, focus LeBlanc then switch to Draven,'_ came their captains voice. Each of them agreed in some way as they centered towards where Nasus was.

The rest of their team consisted of Varus and Sona, who easily controlled the aggression of the opposing Nidalee and Draven, and a struggling Katarina. Even though she was struggling, they had helped her keep up to the point that she could still be deadly.

As they stood before their middle exposed inhibitor, Izuna watched their every move and, in a split second decision, she commanded Vi.

_'Follow up,'_ Izuna said to her teammates.

The pink haired enforcer dashed through the enemy team, pushing everyone except their Renekton aside until she got a hold of LeBlanc. Vi felt her teammates move behind her. She could feel pain coming from the waves of energy radiating off Renekton and could see Draven moving slowly, effected by Nasus' wither.

After their perfectly executed combo of stuns and snares, no one could stop Katarina's Deadly Lotus and Varus' onslaught of arrows. Vi felt herself rooted from LeBlanc's ethereal chains. The mage launched an assault her, disrupting her connection with Izuna, and appearing before her. Her mouth moved quickly before she was slain by a piercing arrow.

'Vi, you okay?' Izuna asked, when her summoned champion was un silenced.

"Y-yeah, all good," Vi said, sounding a bit shaky.

The summoner shook it off; she didn't know how it felt to be a champion. The group quickly ended their match, emerging victorious.

* * *

"Nice job you two," their team captain said, looking at the two girls.

"You too, Melissa," Mel said, introducing herself.

"Izuna," the pink haired summoner said, bowing slightly.

"Nice to meet you, I am Michael," he said, moving his hand towards the two other males. "This is my brother Adam, and our friend Riley."

"You guys seemed nervous, that won't help you get out of bronze," Riley said, with a harsher tone. He crossed his arms.

"Relax Riley, they did fine," Michael said. Izuna stared at Adam, who still hadn't said a word; Michael noticed her. "He's mute, Izuna. That's why he only communicated with our summoner pings."

"I-I'm sorry," Izuna quickly said, embarrassed to have been caught staring.

The long haired, blond Adam smiled and waved at her, giving a few hand signals that universally stood for 'don't worry about it'. The other boy, Riley, turned around and headed outside.

"I don't want these rookies to think they were perfect; little mistakes on the rift could cost us the match," Riley said, walking out. Michael turned to them, sighing.

"Don't mind him, see you girls around," Michael said, walking out with his brother in tow. The mute blond smiled brightly and waved before turning back around.

Izuna stood alone with Mel in silence until the Ionian turned to her.

"Someone told me people like that would make this unpleasant," Mel said, raising a hand to her cheek. Her face turned to Izuna. "Want to come have tea in my room?"

"S-sure," Izuna said, beginning to walk alongside her friend. Aside from Jack, she hadn't been to a friend's room in the institute. Speaking of Jack...

"I knew it was you," Jack said, pushing himself off the wall where he was waiting. "That signature Vi and Izuna stomping through wherever they want."

"Just doing my best," Izuna said, smiling at her friend.

"Oh, hey Mel, you two went together?" Jack asked, moving towards the two girls.

"Yes we did, it was a good match, your relentless assaults aren't very nice when I'm on the opposite side of them," Mel said, jokingly.

"Well, you know, I always have to go in hard or not at all," Jack said, smirking. Izuna rolled her eyes at the innuendo.

"We were just going to have some tea, care to join us?" Mel asked, politely.

"Can't, I have another match to go to, I'll see you guys around?" Jack said, beginning to walk away.

"Okay, see you around, Jack," Izuna said, waving.

"Let's get going?" Mel asked, as Izuna's hand lowered as the boy went into an unknown room. The girl nodded, as she followed.

'I wonder where Vi went off to?'

* * *

Joey stood in the same place he had met Izuna a few days ago, holding a similar note but from another person. He tapped his foot anxiously; he knew what the topic was. He heard footsteps on the cement pathway towards him and he turned as the sounds got louder.

"Joey..." Catherine said, picking up her pace to a brisk walk until she stopped in front of him. She was wearing a similar outfit that Melissa had been wearing; an Ionian styled kimono. She wore a matching blue flower in her hair, unbeknownst to the male how it stayed in place.

"Hello Catherine," He said. At a first glance, people might've mistaken the man for a Piltoverian because of his attire. While most Demacians tended to either wear armor or robes, Joey typically wore simple dark pants and a vest or button up styled shirt. As most girls thought (including his daughter), he did not seem like a fourth year old man. With a bit of gray in his hair, a haircut and a shave, he could pass as a Jayce impersonator.

"Do you know why I want to talk?" She asked, sitting down on the stone bench. Joey remained standing.

"I have some ideas. You look nice," he said, sitting down beside her. His eyes closed as he sat.

"Thank you... Remember what we staring talking about after Izuna and Vi left?" Catherine said, placing her hands together onto her lap.

"We were talking about our days going through the ranks," Joey said, opening his eyes. "Our old team, you wanting to become a teacher."

"You remember why that was, right? What motivated me to want to do this?" Catherine said, looking at the bearded man. He smiled.

"'Course."

* * *

_The young man sat on the stone bench with a book opened across his lap, a tattered, worn old book. He slowly moved his eyes through the pages, taking his time to absorb the information. Underneath him was a pink haired girl holding a simply dressed doll, her robe dampened by the early morning dew on the grass. His sensitive ears alerted him to a incoming person._

_"Joey!" The woman said, slowing down from her sprint._

_"Good morning Catherine, how are you?" The young Joey asked. He closed the book and put it aside him._

_"I'm alright, and how are you this morning?" Catherine said, kneeling down beside the baby Izuna. She tapped the four year olds nose, resulting in a laugh. She moved back up and sat beside the man. "Have you decided?"_

_"Yeah," he said, sighing. The woman's face begin to sadden. "I'm not going to do it."_

_"Joey... Are you positive, you deserve this..." Catherine said, looking at the man. He smiled._

_"Maybe I do but it's not what I want to do," Joey said, looking at her. She didn't respond but her expression said a million words. "I will still have time for our team practices after this is all over, why do you look so upset?"_

_"You're just giving up a chance only a few summoners get for something you can do when you're older... You're wasting your chance Joey!" Catherine said, turning her body towards him. "Please just do this! Do it for me!"_

_Joey chuckled slightly. He bent down and picked up Izuna, resulting in a confused child and another dampened lap._

_"Education is the key to shaping the future, Catherine. I want to be part of that, I always have. I came to the academy to do just that, this was just something that suddenly was offered to me, for some reason," he began. He bounced the child on his leg. "I didn't expect this either but Ozu is allowing her to begin in the academy next year. I'm sorry Catherine, I can't explain it any better. It's my calling in life and I hope you respect that."_

_"I-I do..."_

* * *

"You gave up a chance to be recognized as one of the top fifty summoners in Valoran because the match conflicted with your exam to finalize your teaching license. Who knew you'd get so under my skin?" Catherine said, pulling her hair behind her ear. The blue flower moved but didn't lose its place.

"I never expected you to also become a teacher. You seemed so passionate about your ranking," Joey said, smirking.

"I was a bit jealous... YOU get the opportunity I dreamed of and just turned it down. There's something else I wanted to talk to you about..." Catherine said, her voice trailing off slightly. When she opened her mouth, Joey spoke up.

"You remember the reason why I wanted to be alone?" Joey asked. She nodded.

"I-You and Izuna have really been an influence on me. I want to be part of that family Joey," Catherine said, looking at him. "She worked so hard despite being so young."

"I'm sure Izuna would want that too, she does love you. You're her favorite teacher, aside from myself, of course," he joked. He stared up at the passing clouds.

"You're keeping your promise to me then?... Right?" The woman asked. Her nerves filled her voice.

* * *

Melissa's room was exactly how Izuna had pictured it: clean, organized, and brightly decorated. A few ornaments caught her eye and she guessed they were tribute to her Ionian heritage. The girl ducked into the small kitchen that each room had while Izuna sat down around a small, circular table.

"Your room is incredible, Mel," Izuna said, eyeing around. From another persons view, she looked as wide eyed as Jinx eyeing new guns.

"It's comfortable here. It should be since I've been here for twelve years now," Mel said, with a chuckle. She quickly came out with a plate containing a kettle and two cups.

"Thank you Mel," Izuna said, as the girl placed a cup in front of her. Mel sat down across from her and began pouring hot water into the cups.

"Now that we've had a practice match... Is this something you'd want to keep doing with me?" Mel asked, stirring the tea. She flashed a devilish grin and closed her eyes calmly. "Or are there things you want to do to me?"

"S-shush," Izuna said, reddening. Through her flustered state, she spoke again. "Aside from that one guy, it seemed like what we have been doing. It was enjoyable."

"Yeah, that Riley guy. People who aren't open to criticism are quick to blame others for their shortcomings. I've been the target for blame a number of time; seems like the emphasis on team warding wasn't there a few years ago," Mel said, taking a barely audible sip from her cup.

"I'm sorry Mel," Izuna said, blowing into her cup. The steam from the cup faded until she stopped, immediately coming back.

"Ironically, I've found it to be those people who want to fight Baron Nashor and usually give the enemies the advantage," Mel said, chuckling.

Izuna stared in awe: comparing her to another Ionian, Catherine, Mel was completely alright with speaking of a loss while her previous teacher had a very competitive nature and hated speaking of defeat. Joey had told her stories of their old team when they were fresh graduates.

"So," Mel continued, as Izuna finally attempted to drink. "Do you miss Jack?"

"Yeah, not having him to talk to after every day of classes is weird. It's nice to not have him constantly asking me out, though," Izuna said. The talk with Joey creeped into her mind. She shook her head slightly; Jack seemed completely normal when they spoke today, just busier. Mel's signature smirk and closed eyes returned.

"Are you sure you're just not more interested in dating a woman?" Mel said. She raised her right hand to her left shoulder, pulling her robe down, exposing said shoulder. Izuna lowered her head onto the table.

"Stop that," the pink haired girl weakly responded. "I've never thought about relationships with anyone, I told you that right?"

"You are adorable when you're flustered Izuna, I'm just joking around," Mel said, pulling her robe back up. "You might've, I can't remember. Sexuality can be such a taboo topic. I was raised to be happy by my family. My mother said love is love, gender doesn't matter as long as you're happy."

"I wonder if Joey is like that, we've never talked about that," Izuna said, letting her mind wander to no results. As she sipped her drink, her curiousness bounced topics enough to end up on Caitlyn and Vi about to kiss in her mind but the girl shook her head before it got out of hand.

"Still, I wonder where Vi went, she's the one usually wanting to celebrate anything," Izuna said, looking at the door.

* * *

"You, come here."

"Hmm?"

The enforcer moved through confused summoners with almost the strength of her Assault and Battery towards the woman. The target woman sat with her legs crossed with her mostly exposed torso, headpiece, signature belts around her skirt and staff beside her. For the second time today, she seemed to be Vi's target.

"What did you mean by what you said?" Vi said, loudly, attracting the attention of the people around her.

"You sure are bashful; then again, I knew that by now. You sure took a toll on my summoner and I's attempt to assassinate Varus," LeBlanc said, smiling. She patted the planter where she sat for Vi to sit. "Practice matches are funny huh? Using our powers for something so childish."

"Answer me," Vi said, clenching her fists.

"I made myself very clear Vi, stay away from Izuna," the Deceiver said, closing her eyes.

"Are you that woman that we saw at the graduation? You stupid witch," Vi growled, raising her fists. There was no ignoring her now; summoners and a few iconic champions gathered around her, namely Alistar, ready to contain the woman if need be.

"Stop making a scene Vi," LeBlanc said, calmly. "I wasn't there. For a long time I wasn't."

"Stop talking in riddles, what's with the sudden focus on Izuna, she's just a regular summoner like everyone else," Vi shouted. "If she isn't, that's what she said she wants to be, so leave her alone!"

"Such tenacity, you sure aren't like most Piltoverians, are you?" The woman said, standing up. She grabbed her staff and moved beside Vi. "I suppose you aren't, I'm surprised you don't like the blue haired new girl, you both are criminals at heart."

"You answer me now," Vi said, grabbing the woman's arm. LeBlanc turned her head and stunned the enforcer with a force much like her chains.

"Stay away from my daughter," she whispered in her ear.


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is chapter 5, a bit ahead of schedule but it doesn't matter. I'd be easier for me to post it now than it would be Monday so enjoy!**

* * *

A few months ago...

The darkly dressed group of people sat in silence around the cluttered table. A notable face among the unknown officials was the hand of Noxus himself, Darius. A man in similarly dressed armor sat beside him. He spoke up.

"I wonder what Jericho has up his sleeves," the man said, crossing his arms. His voice sounded like the outlaw himself.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be impressive," Darius said, as his menacing axe shone in the incoming moonlight. He looked around the table. "Isn't your boy going to be helping us, Thomas?"

"Not with this, he might come in handy somewhere in the future; he befriended the child," Thomas said. The sound of someone's steps filled the room, ending their brief conversation.

The distinctly dressed man walked in slowly, holding his body up using a cane and with an iconic bird resting on his shoulder. The new grand general of Noxus, Jericho Swain, sat at the end of the table, dressed in his new usual outfit, referred to as a 'tyrant's armor' by many people outside of Noxus. As he sat, his signature crow landed on the back of the chair.

"Let's get down to business, I'm sure we're all busy," Swain began, clearing his throat. His gravely voice struck fear into a few people in the room. "As you know, the mysterious child found by our land, Izuna as she is called, will soon be graduating from the academy at the Institute. According to our sources, she seems to be one of the most powerful summoners in the academy. She must have some magical affinity aside from summoner magic. She will be a valuable asset to our strength, and to where she truly belongs," he said, taking a sharp breath. He looked around the room at the faces. "I came up with a plan to make her willingly come to Noxus."

"What is it, Swain?" Darius spoke up, striking more fear into newer members of the military.

"We make her believe her mother is here and win her affection. While we do that, we can use her as a summoner for our incoming battle with Demacia. If her powers are what they say they are, we can attack them directly," Swain said. Thomas spoke up this time.

"How do we just make her believe that? This sounds like a very flawed plan," Thomas said, leaning forward, again stunning the newer people who wouldn't dare speak out of turn to their general.

"Oh believe me, Thomas, this will go in our favor," Swain said, with a grim chuckle. "Come in, dear."

A thin, beautiful woman walked into the dim room, adorned with belts and a staff as tall as her. The newer people in the table stared in awe at her beauty while the more seasoned persons smirked at her abilities.

"I see why they call you the master tactician," Thomas said, giving a nod and flashing a sinister smirk.

* * *

"You stay away from her," Vi shouted, raising her right arm up. The Deceiver smirked as Vi felt her hand be grabbed.

"You know violence between champions is strictly forbidden Vi," Headmaster Ozu said, as her hand lowered.

"It's not what it looks like!" Vi exclaimed, glaring at the smirking sorceress.

"Headmaster, it's quite alright, we all know how short fused Vi is," LeBlanc said, dusting off her skirt (or half skirt?) and picking up her staff. "I still don't get how the other cop can handle her methods of crime fighting."

"You shut up," Vi snarled at the woman. She felt the elder man's grip on her arm tighten. It wasn't strong physically but the message behind it was enough to freeze her again.

"You are banned from participating in any matches for the week Vi," Ozu said, clearing his throat. "You are to return to Piltover at once."

"I need to speak to Izuna, it's urgent," Vi pleaded, as her arm was released. In her peripheral, she could see LeBlanc quietly listening, with an innocent smile.

"I'm sure it can wait seeing as how you were so eager to get to her. I advise you to take this light punishment and not break any more rules Vi. The league was created to settle issues bigger than your squabble with LeBlanc," Ozu said. He turned to the sorceress. "LeBlanc will also be punished, don't think this is only targeted to you."

"I don't care anymore, just let me speak with her," Vi said, before being grabbed by two guards. She broke her arms free quickly.

"You will be contacted when you can return to the institute Vi, use this time to think about why you joined in the first place," Ozu said, walking away.

As Vi walked alongside the two guards towards the exit of the institute, she turned around to see the deceiver one last time. She bore a mischievous smile and gave a light wave at the enforcer, who sighed in defeat.

_'Please don't believe that lying bitch Izuna.'_

* * *

"That went better than I planned," LeBlanc said to herself, standing up.

She moved elegantly and swiftly through the crowd of people that had dispersed after their little episode. She quickly reached her destination, the courtyard.

A few summoners lounged around, some done with practice and a few students held books and wrote on papers; surely beginning on summer homework. The champion sat by herself and held out her arm, with her hand in front of her face with an extended index finger. A black crow landed on the finger, creating a smile on the deceiver.

"You really are a smart bird, aren't you Beatrice?" LeBlanc said, giving the bird a small pet on the head. "You let Swain know that the first step went better than expected. Vi will not be a problem for a week."

The bird let out a caw and began to flap its wings, quickly taking to the skies.

_'I have no idea how that man can understand that crow but I think I've seen stranger things in this institute.'_

With that done, LeBlanc stood up and walked towards a new direction; the teachers' rooms.

* * *

"I've thought about this for a long time, Catherine," Joey began, putting his arms back on the bench. "I've had almost twelve years to see if anything would change but nothing has; I made a promise and I will keep it."

The woman smiled and hugged the slender man. He put his arm around her the best he can. She looked up at him.

"Does Izuna have any idea of this?" She asked, nervously. He smiled and shook his head, not relieving the woman at all.

"She's pretty oblivious despite being smart; surprises always worked, no matter how badly planned. I never talked about our past aside from my part in the team. If she's curious, she usually asked and didn't let me go until I answered all her questions," Joey explained. She nodded.

"She was that way when she was my student," she responded. She assumed it was just her studious habits.

"I don't think this will be a problem. There's just one thing," Joey began. When he got her attention, he continued. "The students will always come first."

She nodded, he kept talking.

"I will try my best to be a good man overall. I've loved you for over fifteen years now and I don't see that changing now," he said, smiling, like always.

The woman wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for the first time since they'd met. The man returned the kiss, feeling tears roll onto his cheeks. After he pulled his body away, he saw a slender woman walking away from the courtyard as a crow flew away.

* * *

"Now I know why everyone loves that bread," Izuna said, with her head on the table. She wrapped her arms around her head as Mel smiled and finished her remaining tea.

"Ahri's bread is very good. I suppose we celebrated a bit too much for just a practice game, huh?" Mel said, looking around. Izuna shook her head the best she could. Mel took advantage, smirking. "Hmm, you're tired?"

"I don't ever want to eat againnnnnnn," Izuna said, lifting her head up. She realized she didn't answer the question and nodded, plopping back down.

"At least you're a good full; wasting food is a shame, let's go, you should get some rest," Mel said, moving over to her and pulling her arm.

The pink haired girl stood up slowly and followed wherever she was being pulled to. She eventually was led to a soft bed and she immediately fell into it, feeling as if embraced by the soft bread she had previously eaten. Once she bit the blanket and shook herself awake, she turned onto her back and sighed.

"I gotta get into the habit of eating more regularly, my eating has been so messed up since classes ended," Izuna said, looking over at Mel. She put all the cups and plates together on the center of the table before walking over to sit next to her.

"Do you do any exercise, Izuna?" Mel asked, crossing her legs.

"Not really, do I need to?" Izuna asked, with a bit of worry in her voice. She had been used to being naturally slim.

"Not really. It might help with your digestion though," Mel began. Her left hand moved beside Izuna's head and her body turned towards her. "I know an easy way to feel better, though."

"Hmm?" Izuna hummed, making a curious look. As Mel's hand moved onto her cheek, her look quickly left her face. The girl moved her face aside hers and put her lips near Izuna's ear.

"**Sex.**"

"M-Mel," Izuna managed to stutter before locking up. The Ionian's hand moved to her other side and ran down her cheek. Her other hand moved onto her left shoulder blade, right above her breast. Her hand seemed to lower slowly before Mel grinned and spoke.

"I don't seem to want to control myself anymore Izuna, or maybe I can't," Mel said, softly. She lowered her robe from her shoulder, showing bare skin. "Seems like I even dressed the part this morning unintentionally."

M-Mel, I don't think I'm re-" she began, before being cut off her Mel's finger on her lips. The girl crawled over Izuna, lowered her face less than an inch away from hers.

"Don't you find me attractive?" Mel cooed seductively. "I see the way you eye me, Izuna."

"I- ugh," Izuna said, feeling her face become warm. She closed her eyes as Mel's weight lessened as she sat up. Izuna opened one eye slowly to see her smirking, eyes glowing like a little yordle in a candy store.

"I'm sorry, when's the next time I would get the chance to have you immobile on my bed again? I had to," she said, giggling. The Ionian moved and sat beside her again.

"Y- why so you love seeing me suffer," Izuna said, covering her face. Mel's face changed immediately.

"I never- I'm sorry. You should get going now, I have a few things to write. Are we going to continue tomorrow?" Mel asked, standing up and moving to the table where they had been.

"Y-yeah, of course. I should find Vi, it's weird of her to just vanish," Izuna said, standing up slowly. "Do you need any help?"

"It's quite alright Izuna, I will see you tomorrow," Mel said, taking the assorted plates into the small kitchen area.

"Are you alright?" Izuna asked, stopping in front of the kitchen.

"I'm just tired, I woke up early to get you remember?" Mel said, walking back towards her door.

"Well, alright. I'll see you tomorrow," Izuna said, beginning to walk outside.

"I'm sorry again Izuna, I didn't mean to offend you," Mel said, with a sad look on her face. "Have a good night."

"You didn-" Izuna began, before the door closed slowly.

_'Guess I worded that wrong... I'll apologize tomorrow morning.'_

As Izuna began to walk, her head moved down as she listened to her sole footsteps walking through the quiet halls. She began to play a game most people have in their lives; trying to avoid the lines in the flooring. As she did, her mind wandered back to her pink haired champion of choice.

_'I wonder if she's okay... Maybe she got into trouble? How could someone manage to get in trouble in the 5 minutes from the end of the match?'_

As she walked, she experienced the only negative side of the mind game she was playing as she bumped into a person, sending her onto the ground. She shook her head and bowed slightly whilst sitting.

"I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," Izuna said quickly. As she opened her eyes, she saw a feminine hand that she quickly grabbed.

"It's quite alright," LeBlanc said, smiling as she pulled backwards to lift the summoner back onto her feet. "Fate must be with us; I was looking for you but you were not in your room."

"I'm sorry Miss LeBlanc. What did you need?" Izuna said, standing up.

"I have a few things I need to speak to you about privately. Do you mind if we return to your quarters, Izuna?" LeBlanc said, letting her hand go slowly.

"Is everything okay?" Izuna asked. She had never had an extended conversation with LeBlanc...or any conversation with her at all. She was very rarely at the institute and, if she was it was for important business, she assumed. Staring back at the sorceress, she received a nod.

"Most everything is alright. I just presume it will be a long conversation. I have the furthest thing from ill will towards you, if you're worried," LeBlanc said, bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Izuna asked, confused. The girl began to walk, followed by the mage.

"I can sense that you're worried. We've never spoken before so you have no reason to trust me. I doubt my city state of residence wouldn't help my case either," LeBlanc said. She quickly ran a hand through her dark hair. "I've had years to prepare what I have to say to you though."

Izuna nodded, gulping to herself. Both females remained quiet as they walked through the halls. Many people who had witnessed Vi's scene looked at them as they walked by, adding to Izuna's confusion. When they reached Izuna's room, the girl opened the door and moved aside, letting the woman enter first before entering herself and closing the door behind them.

LeBlanc sat on the bed, her staff laying beside her. She motioned for Izuna to sit beside her; the summoner obliged.

"I supposed you've heard about Vi?" LeBlanc asked, placing her hands on her sides.

"N-no, is she okay?" Izuna asked worriedly, turning to face her.

"She's fine. She got into a bit of trouble and almost hit a champion. She was banned from all matches for the rest of the week," the woman said, with a sad tone.

"Oh... At least she's alright... I was worried when she never came to find me," Izuna said, followed by a giggle. "That sounds like something she would do. Her temper is short with most people."

"With that being said, there is something important I have to tell you, Izuna," LeBlanc said, nervously. She took a breath and continued. "Have you ever heard of the Black Rose?"

"No," Izuna responded.

_'Perfect.'_ LeBlanc smiled to herself.

"It was an organization run by my mother. It was a system similar to the league in a way; it taught sorcerers how to hone their skills to solve problems in Noxus peacefully. I was a member, set to eventually take my mother's place... I doubt you'll believe what I'm about to tell you," LeBlanc said, turning her head towards the summoner.

"What is it?" Izuna asked, with lingering confusion in her voice.

"I will continue my story...Nineteen years ago, I was taken advantage of by a high ranking member of the organization. I won't get into details. I fled Noxus when I found out I was pregnant, fearing my mother's judgement," LeBlanc said, getting quieter as she spoke.

"L-LeBlanc?" Izuna stuttered, connecting the pieces.

"I see you've made an assumption... I gave birth to a oddly hair colored daughter alone. Fearing both of our lives, I gave the child to a passing woman, asking her to drop her off at the Institute of War," LeBlanc said, looking away slightly. "I returned to Noxus to find out my mother was killed by the same man and our organization had been shattered."

"I'm so sorry... This is a lot to take in at once..." Izuna said, fidgeting with her fingers.

"I understand. I'm not here to take you away from your life or anything, your life is yours. I just wanted to tell you the truth, in case you've ever had questions. I know I'm quite the wanderer myself," LeBlanc said, smiling warmly at the girl.

"Thanks... So you don't know who that woman was that you gave me to?" Izuna asked, remembering her encounter. Shivers ran through her spine.

"I do not. I asked if she was passing the institute, told her my story and she agreed to drop you off with a professor," LeBlanc said. She looked around and stood up slowly. "I should be going now."

"Already?" Izuna asked, standing beside her.

"I'm afraid so. I have quite the journey back to Noxus. I know you're happy here; that's the most I could ask for," LeBlanc said. With that, she quickly wrapped her arms around the summoner. "I'll see you on the fields."

As quickly as she came, LeBlanc left the room with a swing of her long cape. Izuna sat on her bed, taking in the crazy day with a audible sigh.

"Graduating sure comes with a bunch of surprises... Does everyone have to deal with the same things?" She said, to herself out loud.

In the halls of the institute, the deceiver walked towards the exit with a smile on her face as a familiar crow landed on her staff.

_'Seems like the smarter you are, the more emotionally fragile you are. Soon it'll be time for my grand finale.'_

* * *

Izuna laid on her bed, a bit after the Noxian champion confessed her secret. Switching to only a long gray shirt, she closed her eyes and did what she did best.

_'It was odd that LeBlanc told me that out of the blue... But she didn't have the intent of taking me away or anything. I need to apologize to Mel tomorrow, I worded my comeback wrong... Do I like women? I hope Vi doesn't get into more trouble. I need less dres-'_

Her wandering mind was stopped by a knock on the door but before she could sit up, she felt a cold wind hit her. She froze in place, seeing a shrouded figure above her.

"You're back," Izuna said, quietly. A cold hand stroked her cheek. The skin was as soft as Mel's but her cold touch almost seemed to leave wetness behind.

"I see you've become quite popular around here, darling," the hooded woman said, sitting on the bed.

"I don't think so. Nothing has changed," Izuna said, shivering slightly.

"I don't have much time today. Just checking up on you dear," the woman said, standing up slightly. "What are you going to do this week without the pink haired woman?"

"I'll see when I get there," Izuna said, quietly, terrified.

"Remember Izuna," the woman said, lowering her head, her lops half an inch from the girl's ear. "Trust no one."

The woman backed away and rose her arms, disappearing from her sight in a split second. Izuna took a few slow breaths, collecting her self. Another knock continued on the door while it slowly cracked open.

"Hey, Izuna, are you awake?" Joey's voice came, as the door opened slowly.

The knock sounded the same, as if time itself had frozen during the woman's visit. Izuna quickly sat up, pulling her blanket to cover her bare legs.

"Yeah, come in," she responded, as her father walked inside the room, quickly sitting by her side.

"How was practice?" Joey asked, leaning against the wall, like he usually did.

"Pretty good. We won and Mel invited me to tea afterwards," Izuna said, frowning slightly at what she remembered. _'I can't forget apologize.'_

"You two are become good friends huh? I rarely heard Mel speak aside from with Nicole, I'm guessing you heard about Vi?" Joey asked, with a more serious tone towards the end. Izuna nodded.

"I heard. Sounds like her though. Looks like I'll have to summon other champions for this week," Izuna said, just realizing this. She wasn't worried though.

"There's something I want to tell you Izuna," Joey began, readjusting himself. "It's about Catherine and I."

"What happened?" The girl asked, sitting upwards more, curiosity peaking her.

"I made a promise to her years ago: when you finished school, we would see if we still felt the same way about each other. Have I told you anything about that?" Joey asked. Izuna shook her head and he continued. "Our team was very good and, for some reason, I was given an opportunity to become one of the top fifty summoners in Valoran."

"What? You were a challenger?" Izuna asked, excitedly. She has heard of it; it wasn't named anything but it was referred to as challenger rank because of it's highly competitive nature. Newer members had to work extra hard to stay in the ranks.

"I was given the chance to. I refused it because it conflicted with my final exam to become a professor," Joey said, smiling. He stared at his daughter, who gave him the same look Catherine had. "This had always been my dream Izuna, Catherine felt the same way you did, like I was wasting a huge opportunity."

He placed his hand on the girl's head.

"You were part of the decision too. Catherine says that day I inspired her to become a teacher as well. She was also very jealous; you know how competitive she is," He said, as the girl nodded again, smiling. "I have loved her for the past twelve years but I wanted to put you and my students before anything. It might've been selfish but I felt it was the right thing to do. I still love her and I was wondering how you would feel about her being part of our family?"

Izuna stunned him with a response filled with innocence and maturity at the same time, accompanied by her smile.

"You mean she isn't already?" She said. He chuckled.

"I suppose you're right huh? Aren't most children supposed to be jealous when their father isn't paying attention fully to them anymore?" Joey asked, jokingly.

"Speaking of that, I have a random question," Izuna began, remembering her conversation with Mel earlier. "What's your opinion on homosexuality?"

"Hmm... I never really though about it. To each his own," Joey said, standing up. "I'll love you no matter what."

"I'm not saying that! I was just curious," Izuna said, sighing.

With that, her father gave a slight wave and said his goodbyes. Izuna laid back down and let her mind wander as she got ready to sleep and for another day of practice with Mel. Her mind focused on a certain Noxian woman.

She had never thought about who her birth parents are but knowing was a strange feeling.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the delayed chapter. A bunch of things happened Monday (car battery died, League got DDoS'd) then yesterday was a New Year's Eve so I didn't get to edit this. Here it is, chapter 6!**

**This chapter ended in a bit of a weird part. I wasn't sure how to finish this without extending it like, another 3k words. Also, happy holidays to everyone and a happy new years!**

* * *

Caitlyn sat peacefully in her small but comfortable apartment. She took a sip of tea as she stared out the window to see the Piltover lights illuminating the view. She had heard the news of Vi's punishment but almost ignored it completely; seemed every time she left, she did something wrong unintentionally.

The officer knew her partner meant no harm but her methods weren't exactly regular police tactics. She heard her door open and she tilted her head towards the noise.

"What did you do this time?" Caitlyn asked, lowering her cup onto the small plate.

"Something is going on with the Noxians Cait," Vi said, storming into the room.

"What are you talking about?" Caitlyn sighed, looking up at the bewildered enforcer.

"That stupid bitch said something about staying away from her daughter, Izuna. What's with the focus on her? She's just a regular summoner like the rest of them!" Vi said, cooling down as she spoke, as if she needed to vent.

"Riven is Izuna's mother?" Caitlyn asked, confused.

"Rive- no! Why don't you listen to me Cait!" Vi said, angrily. The officer stared at her blankly.

"You said "That bitch". I have no idea who you're talking about," Caitlyn said, standing up. "Explain what happened Vi."

"I was in a match and I was being totally awesome with Izuna and LeBlanc whispered something to me so I confronted her about it and she spoke in her stupid riddles and said Izuna is her daughter so I told her to stay away, that she wants to be a normal summoner like everyone else and she kept pissing me off and I almost punched her," Vi said, in one long, quick sentence. Caitlyn knew she was finished by her finally taking a break and crashing onto the couch.

"If LeBlanc is her mother, who are you to tell her to stay away?" Caitlyn asked.

"You don't believe that witch, do you? All she does is lie to people," Vi said, looking up at her partner.

"What do you want to do Vi? We can't just go and attack the woman, we're supposed to stand for peace," Caitlyn said, sitting beside her. "For all we know, she could be her mother."

"I want you to go speak with Izuna, let her know to be careful," Vi said, putting her legs up on the woman's table.

"Are you sure about this Vi?" Caitlyn sighed. "It takes almost a day to get to the institute, if this is just you being paranoid..."

"It's not Cait! Doesn't this all seem weird to you? Izuna wasn't even spoken of until she graduated, we saw the weird lady, and now this!" Vi exclaimed, sitting forward. "Doesn't that strike you as a bit weird?"

"Fine Vi. I'll go tomorrow. You better not destroy Piltover when I'm gone then," Caitlyn said, sighing. Her partner smiled.

"Thanks cupcake, I'll keep the city safe. It's the least I can do," Vi said.

"Hopefully I don't get called into too many matches, wasting two days of travel is more than enough," Caitlyn said, sighing. This all seemed like a huge hassle if it's just Vi being brash.

"You won't. I'm sure they're all sick of you already," Vi said, laying down on the couch with the intent of staying the night.

"I'm sure," Caitlyn said, walking into her bedroom, fully knowing her popularity with summoners wouldn't change in a day.

* * *

Izuna stood outside of the Ionian's bedroom door, having gotten there very early. After Joey had left the previous night, she decided to be the one to get Mel in the morning and apologize.

As her hand moved to knock on the wooden door, it opened, revealing a confused Mel.

"Oh Izuna, I was just going to get you..." Mel said, closing her door behind her. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah... I just wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I was joking but I guess I sounded serious when I said you were making me suffer," Izuna said, scratching her head. "I don't want you mad at me."

"I was out of line though. You are younger and I need to respect that. Should we get going?" Mel asked, looking towards their destination.

"What's my age have to do with anything?" Izuna asked, confused and a bit offended.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I just assumed a person your age would less... Repelling to that kind of humor. Part of me wishes you would return my advances, I have always been fond of you Izuna," Mel said, closing her eyes and raising her hand to her face as she spoke. She shook her head slightly and opened her eyes, giving an innocent smile. She seemed genuinely embarrassed by her slip of tongue. "I seemed to have started to ramble, it doesn't matter much anymore."

"You like me?" Izuna asked, tilting her head slightly. While she was book smart, she had a hard time with things like this.

"It doesn't matter, Izuna. We should get going," Mel said, beginning to walk. She stopped and felt something wrap around her.

"I didn't know that. I'm kind of oblivious Mel... I'm sorry," Izuna said, hugging the girl from behind.

"It's alright Izuna, what's done is done. We should get going," Mel said, patting her hands on Izuna's.

"You're not mad at me right?" Izuna said, looking up at the girl. Mel closed her eyes and smiled.

"Of course not. Just know this means you're no longer getting mercy," Mel said, turning her smile into a devilish smirk. Izuna stared at her and decided to do something spontaneously out of character.

"Who said I wanted mercy?" She responded. She blinked a few times. _'What? What did I just say?!'_

"Hmm," Mel hummed, beginning to walk. Izuna stood alone, more confused than she was when she began.

"W-wait!" Izuna said, chasing after her friend.

* * *

"I spoke to Izuna yesterday," Joey said, sitting on the couch.

He found himself in Catherine's apartment. He was going to tell her how their conversation went and spend some time with her. She came over and sat beside him, handing him a glass of water.

"How did that go?" She asked, with a hint of nervousness.

"She asked since when were you not part of our family?" Joey said, smiling.

"She said that? That girl is odd huh..." Catherine said, forming a smile slowly.

"She is. I wonder how Mel and her are doing, they're practicing today," Joey said, looking towards the door slightly. "Especially with Vi being gone for this week."

"I'm sure she's doing good. She's a great summoner. I hope she took my lessons of being flexible to heart, a few students never grasp that and insist on a single role for their whole lives," Catherine said, sighing.

"I've seen her do well with many champions... Aside from Fiddlesticks... She told me she could never get the hang of his style," Joey said, tapping his glass with his fingers as he remembered.

"Fiddle is an odd champion... Annoying too," Catherine said, often being the target of his dreaded fear inducing skill that was often certain death to an ADC. His face usually made the summoner opposing him switch one of their summoner spells for their cleansing spell.

"I wonder how the other two are these days..." Joey said, taking a sip of his water. His mind had wandered to their old team when they were fresh graduates, right before he had become a professor.

"I heard Caleb works with Jayce occasionally in Piltover... Nothing much changed with Allison," Catherine responded. "We should all get together... We could ask Izuna to join us for him."

"I don't think so," Joey said, chuckling. "I'm preferring to stay off the rift lately, even my own daughter can outsmart me, I'd hold us back."

"Gosh, and you guys call me a sore loser, I never thought an almost challenger would be such a baby," The woman responded, elbowing the man's side. Her smile faded slightly and her face turned a bit more serious. "Did you run into him at the graduation?" Joey nodded.

"We sat with him. I don't think he'd want to come back," Joey said, looking into his glass, hearing the ice cubes clink around as he idly moved the glass.

"I wouldn't think so... It's hard to believe he'd change so much. To think you two were like best friends," Catherine said, sighing quietly.

"Well, things change and most of the time, we can't help it," Joey said. "I'm doing fine as I am now. Hopefully Jack doesn't follow in his footsteps. I don't know how Izuna would react."

* * *

Izuna trudged out of the summoner room, followed by Mel, who walked out calmly. Her head turned towards the pink haired summoner, who held her body up with her arm against the wall.

"It's alright Izuna, you don't need to blame yourself for our loss," Mel said, placing her hand on her back.

"It's mostly tiredness and hunger... I need to fix my schedules," Izuna said, standing upright. "I tried my hardest, at least that Riley guy wasn't here to be a jerk."

"How confident do you feel about your skill?" Mel asked, as they walked.

"I guess pretty confident, do you think we're ready?" Izuna asked.

"Probably in a few days, if we keep doing as good as we have," Mel said, staring up as she spoke.

They had done a total of four matches that morning, a good amount to leave a summoner magically exhausted. While Mel had stuck to supporting, alternating between Sona and Leona, Izuna had one match going into the top lane, summoning Nasus. The next two matches, she returned to the jungle with Nasus and Nocturne, and in her final match, she was asked to go in the middle lane in which she summoned Riven.

The last match stuck out: it was their only loss of the day and Izuna's opponent was her newly discovered mother, LeBlanc. While Riven had a reputation for being ruthless in her assaults of whoever she got onto, LeBlanc had the same reputation. Her magical strength almost always decimated the exile and, when it didn't, left her unable to use her abilities to escape or fight back.

"Want to join me for tea again? We don't have to go overboard on the snacks this time," Mel said, giggling slightly.

"Alright," Izuna said, thinking back to her previous spontaneous statement and Mel's response to it. As Izuna followed the Ionian girl, she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. She spoke to Mel before she turned and walked the other way. "I'll catch up Mel!"

Mel nodded and continued walked while the voice, which belong to her best friend, slowed to a stop in front of the pink haired girl, who gave him a hug.

"Jack! It feels like it's been forever," Izuna said, pulling herself away, smiling. The boy returned her affection with a familiar grin.

"Well, you know, I'm pretty busy now, being the best summoner in Valoran sure can keep a guy busy," Jack said, flexing his barely noticeable muscles.

"Glad to see you haven't changed a bit huh?" Izuna said, half giggling half sighing, a response she'd done countless times over the years. "I'm guessing you've been doing good?"

"Pretty good yeah. My dad suggested I ask Caitlyn to be my champion more so I've been trying that. He spoke really highly of her," Jack said, leaning against a wall slightly.

"She's fantastic. I feel terrible for when she is paired up with Annie... Their opponents usually have a miserable time," Izuna said, shuddering at the rare times she was pitted against the pair.

"How are you managing without Vi?" Jack asked the girl.

"Pretty good... Not as fun. I guess I've gotten attached to her remarks after everything we do," Izuna said, smiling slightly.

"I bet. Caitlyn sure is more proper than Draven. Hey are you busy tomorrow? We should hang out; I never get to see you anymore," Jack said, pushing his body off the wall.

"I don't think so. After a few matches, we can," Izuna said, happily.

"I'm doing a bit extra today so I can skip tomorrow, my dad needs to speak to me in the morning or something. So, I'll see you around this time tomorrow?" Jack asked, putting his hands in his pocket.

"Sounds good, good luck!" Izuna said, as he smirked and gave her a wave. As he walked, he turned around one last time.

"Have fun with your girlfriend!"

Izuna raised her fist to hit him, something else she'd come countless times, and quickly lowered it with a faint smile. Her mind was clear.

_'Looks like nothing's changed between us...'_

She began to walk, toying with her hands as she usually did, in a happier mood. It was a relief to know her father's worried warning was wrong. It was nice to not have the extra worry of that on her shoulders. As she turned a corner, into the student rooms, she felt a familiar presence. A presence she learned to hate.

"Are you ever going to leave me alone..." Izuna said, standing still, clenching her fists.

"Is that the attitude you give someone with your best interests at heart, dear?" the cloaked woman said, placing her arms around the pink haired girl. "All these people with impure hearts around you, it really saddens me."

"Why are you so fixated one me?" Izuna said, feeling her skin tighten from the cold. As she woman got closer, her legs felt just as cold, if not colder.

"Is it so wrong to want you to flourish like no one else can?" The woman said, her smirk visible in Izuna's peripheral. "Hopefully you've been heeding my warnings, my child."

"I'm sick of your riddles! Just leave me alone, please." Izuna said, breaking free quickly and turning towards the woman. She was confused, angry. As her voice raised, she looked around; no one was ever around.

"Such firey passion; a new side of you. Remember what I told you Izuna," The woman said, raising a hand to her lips. "You won't be kept in the dark forever."

"Shut up! I'm finally having a better day and you're here to ruin it! Just leave me alone!" Izuna said, raising her arms up.

"I will leave you for now child," the woman said, walking towards her again. She touched Izuna's face, running her fingers down her cheek. "Just remember: not everyone is who you think they are."

The woman walked past Izuna, who remained still, fists still tight. She felt a quick harsh wind and, when Izuna turned around, the woman had disappeared. After a few seconds, she began to see people walking around, carefree, as if the world had unfrozen.

* * *

Vi squirmed in her chair as she put her feet onto the wooden desk again. Her legs got pushed down again. She sat forward and placed her arms on the desk, sighing, giving a glare at the blond boy.

"Why you, of all people?" Vi said, annoyed.

"I owe Cait, might as well have," Ezreal said, toying around with his gauntlet.

"Can you handle it? You're just a kid, after all," Vi said, placing her head down.

"Vi, nothing has happened. I'm just here to make sure you don't destroy Piltover. This is incredibly boring; I'd much rather be doing... Anything else," Ezreal said, sighing. "Did you hear from Cait?"

"Not really... She's probably gotten summoned a bunch of times," Vi said, sitting up. "Suppose it's better it's you than Jayce... Can't stand him."

"So you're sure this is some Noxian plot?" Ezreal asked, sitting near the enforcer.

"I don't know... Why the sudden interest in Izuna? She's just like everyone else," Vi said. "Why would LeBlanc say she's her mother so out of the blue?"

"I don't know but it does seem odd," Ezreal said, moving to the desk. He pulled out a few papers and a pen. Vi looked at his strangely.

"What are you doing?" Vi asked, sitting up. Ezreal gave her a funny look accompanied with a smirk.

"You wanna do the paperwork?" Ezreal asked, extending the pen to her. Vi made a horrified look and quickly stood up.

"I-I'm going out for a bit, patrol the city and stuff," Vi said, hurrying towards the door. Ezreal chuckled.

"I figured. Don't break anything," Ezreal said, beginning to look through the papers.

"I'll try," Vi said, waving as she walked out the door.

* * *

Mel opened the door after she heard a knock, moving aside quickly as she saw Izuna.

"How was Jack? How's he doing?" Mel asked, warmly.

"He was alright. We're going to hang out tomorrow," Izuna said, happily. She was still angry but she didn't want to affect Mel after yesterday's incident.

"Sounds nice. I bet he's been quite busy. Come in," Mel said, already to the side. Izuna walked in slowly as Mel shut the door behind her.

Izuna walked towards her seat on the small table as Mel sat aside from her, tea already set in front of her. The Ionian girl began to pour the boiling water into the cups slowly as the visible steam filled the air in front of her, leaving a pleasant smell. She couldn't place her tongue on it but it smelled familiar. Nonetheless, it cleared her mind of her frustration at the mysterious woman.

"What's on your mind Izuna? You seemed deep in thought," Mel asked, putting the teapot down.

"Oh n-nothing, just wondering how Vi is doing, she must be bored out of her mind, if I know her," Izuna said, picking up her cup slowly. _'At least she's following the rules and not getting punished more._'

"I wonder too. You haven't heard from her?" Mel asked. Izuna shook her head.

"I don't think she's allowed to. Hopefully she doesn't try to," Izuna sighed. "It's be weird without her."

"I heard Mr. Nakano and Ms. Mikado are dating now," Mel said, taking a sip and then looking at Izuna.

"Yeah... He said they've loved each other for years but he wanted to focus on raising me right," Izuna said, staring into her cup. She felt the steam on her face. "I'm happy, she visited us often so it felt like she was always part of our small family."

"I see. That sounds very nice. Hopefully you don't because as competitive as her, I've heard stories," Mel said, smiling. Her competitiveness was known around the institute.

"I asked Joey what he thought about homosexuality yesterday," Izuna said, looking away slightly. Her face felt warm. _'It's the steam.'_/

"Oh?" Mel hummed, looking at her. "What did he say?"

"He said it doesn't matter to him. I figured he would've said something like that," Izuna said, looking at her friend.

"I did as well, happiness shouldn't be a problem, I think," Mel said, looking around. "It's getting late, do you want to get going?"

"N-not really. This is all I do, it's boring in my room," Izuna said, crossing her arms. "Joey and Catherine are finishing academy related things so I have no one to talk to all day."

"That does sound lonely. You could've said that before, I also have nothing important lately," Mel said, standing up and beginning to tidy up the area.

"Thanks Mel, you're a good friend," Izuna said, standing up to help.

"You are as well, Izuna," Mel said, walking away. "Hope you're ready."

"What do you mean?" Izuna asked, walking towards the Ionian bun bed and sitting on it, bouncing slightly. She quickly realized where she was.


	7. Chapter 7

**Delayed, delayed, blah, blah, excuses. I figured out I'm terrible at scheduling this story but just know I wont abandon it. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Jack stared at himself in the mirror. He was dressed in his regular robe. Even though he wasn't going to participate in any matches, it seemed weird to wear more casual clothes inside the institute.

He quickly exited his room and headed towards Izuna's room before quickly stopping near where his dad had asked him to meet him. The man stood normally, with a stern face and his arms crossed, almost a foot taller than his son and the woman beside him. Jack sighed as he neared his father, crossing his arms behind his head.

"What's up, dad?" Jack asked, looking around. Lately, all his meetings with his dad involved something he didn't want to do and, aside from his advice on Caitlyn, he ignored all of them.

"I need you to return to Noxus with me. Your mother has fallen ill and I want you to be with her," Thomas said, looking at his son.

"W-what? Is she okay?" Jack asked, quickly dropping his arms. His dad nodded slowly.

"She will be. She said she would feel more at ease with you by her side. I don't care what you think about me right now, you're old enough to make your own decisions, but honor your mother's request," Thomas said, sternly.

"Calm down. You're such a pain sometimes. I'll go, I just need to tell Izuna I can't make it today," Jack said, crossing his own arms.

"Oh, you're going to see her? I can let her know for you, I need to speak with her as well," LeBlanc said, revealing herself more. She gave a slight wave.

"Why?" Jack said, confused. Why would she need to speak with Izuna?

"It's mostly I need to speak with the council, I need to be excused from matches for a few weeks. Also she asked me to visit her after I was against her in a match," LeBlanc said, calmly.

"I guess that's alright then... Let her know I'm sorry, I'll speak to her first thing when I get back," Jack said, nodding. He moved towards his father, who was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Very well, let's get going," Thomas said, beginning to walk, with his son in tow. He turned as he followed.

"Thanks!" He said to the sorceress.

LeBlanc put on a smile and waved back. As the father and son duo faded from her sights, her smiled curved into a wicked grin. She raised her staff slightly, creating a quick cloud of smoke. Out of the smoke, came the woman, transformed to look like Jack. The grin remained as she walked to the teacher's wing.

"Flawless execution."

* * *

"Blehhhhh."

Izuna stretching her arms, arching her back slightly out of habit. She felt, and heard, her elbow crack, a feeling she'd learned to love after sleep. She sat up and let out a yawn before habitually rubbing her eyes.

"Suppose I should get ready for our matches..." She said, swinging her legs off the bed. She blinked a few times and stared around. The decorations, bed, and table were not hers. She turned slightly to see the brown haired girl still asleep against the wall. After the few seconds of shock, she took a breath and nodded to herself.

_'That's right... I stayed the night here...'_

She laid back down, facing the ceiling. She saw her robe hanging on a hanger, hung on a doorknob. She closed her eyes and smiled, playing back the events of the previous night.

"Looks like you woke up in a good mood, is this something I should get used to?" Mel's voice said, as all the moving had woken her up. She sat up against the wall.

"I guess so. I don't mind mornings when I wake up on my own accord," Izuna said, looking up at the girl. She turned away slightly, blushing. "So, we're a couple now?"

"If that's what you want, Izuna," Mel said. She rested her hand on the girl's unique colored hair. "I told you I won't force you to do anything you're not comfortable with."

"I never thought we'd be like this a month ago, it's kinda weird to think about that," Izuna said, looking at the girl again. "I don't mind it though. It's been hectic but I'm happy."

"I'm glad. Things turned out well," Mel said, stretching her arms. She laid back down.

"What happens now though?" Izuna asked, turning her head.

"Nothing has to change. We still have to focus on what we're doing," Mel said.

"You sound like Joey," Izuna said, smiling. "You think we're ready now?"

"I suppose. You are old enough," Mel said, leaning over her. Her smirk came back as her hand ran down Izuna's side, pulling up her plain shirt along with it. Izuna stopped her hand, blushing.

"I-I meant for ranked!" Izuna said. Even still, she got flustered.

"Oh, I know," Mel said, her smirk remaining on her face. "I just thought this would be more fun. We should be, maybe we should wait till next week though. You're most comfortable with Vi, that's easy to tell."

"That would be nice... I do miss Vi and I've never had to worry about not having her; I'm always worried about that when they're banning champions," Izuna said, sitting up.

"No shame in that. Being comfortable is just as important as skill most of the time," Mel said, sitting up as well.

"So you don't mind waiting for me?" Izuna asked. As she finished saying that, she felt her shirt being lift up again. "I meant for ranked!"

* * *

Caitlyn slowly walked inside the institute, placing her hands on her hips as she released a sigh.

"Two days of travel... The things I do for that girl..." Caitlyn said, thinking of her partner.

With her being constantly summoned, her travel time was almost doubled. She had anticipated this and left Ezreal in charge of whatever work she had to do, knowing Vi would blow it off completely, plus blackmailing the explorer was always enjoyable.

"I suppose I should find Izuna's room..." Caitlyn said, beginning to look around the halls. As she walked, she was stopped by a familiar voice who called out to her.

"Hey! Caitlyn," came Joey's voice, a voice she did know.

The man walked towards her as she turned to face him, greeting him with a now of respect. He gave her an awkward wave, not used to the formal greeting.

"What brings you to the institute this morning?" Joey asked, pocketing his hands. "How's Vi?"

"She's alright, probably forcing Ezreal to do all of her work. She wanted me to warn Izuna about something. Has she said anything about LeBlanc to you?" Caitlyn said, crossing her arms, out of habit.

"No she hasn't... What does LeBlanc have to do with anything?" Joey asked.

"Something about that LeBlanc told Vi she's her mother. I'm not sure I should be meddling in this but I'm sure she wouldn't have left me alone otherwise," Caitlyn said, laughing a bit.

"I see. I'll have to speak with her about this. She kept it a secret from me, it seems," Joey said, closing his eyes. "Izuna should be in her room, you know where it is?"

"Yeah, I know where. I should get going... The quicker I get back to Piltover the better," Caitlyn said, walking past him slightly. She turned quickly again before leaving. "I heard about you and Catherine. I wish you two a happy relationship."

"Hehe... Thank you. I'll see you around," Joey said, giving her a small wave as he took off the opposite way. His hand raised to his chin.

"Izuna's mother huh..."

* * *

_Knock, Knock._

Izuna's eyes shot open as she sat up quickly. She began to panic, looking around in confusion. Once she remembered again she was with Mel and it wasn't her at the door, she calmed down. She shook Mel awake when she remember it wasn't even her own door.

"Mel, someone is at your door," Izuna said, shaking the girl awake. She stretched her arms above her head, making Izuna turn away from the... Distracting view.

"You get it, I don't want to get up yet," Mel said, turning around.

"What?! What's someone going to think of this?" Izuna said, standing up quickly. She grabbed her shirt and robe from where they were.

"Are you ashamed of your girlfriend, Izuna?" Mel said, mid yawn.

"Of c-course not! I-Is this normal for couples to do?" Izuna asked, quickly dressing herself.

_Knock, knock, knock, knock._

"C-coming!" Izuna said, walking towards the door. She turned to Mel. "Cover up with the blanket."

"Don't want anyone else to see me but you? I never knew you were the jealous type, Izuna," Mel said, giggling, as she pulled her covers higher.

Izuna opened the door slowly, peeking through the small crack. As she saw a familiar person on the other side, she quickly opened the door, as her friend, Jack, waved to her.

"Figured you'd be here if you weren't in your room," Jack said, not questioning what she was doing there so early.

"G-Good morning Jack, is everything alright?" Izuna asked, walking outside quickly, closing the door behind her. His face quickly formed a frown, making her anticipate bad news.

"I'm afraid so... I have to go back to Noxus with my father today. My mother has fallen ill and I want to be by her side," Jack said, looking away slightly.

"Oh. I hope she's alright. We can hang out another time, family comes first," Izuna said, hugging her friend. His head turned back towards her.

"There's something else..." Jack said, pulling himself away slightly. "Y-your- LeBlanc is dead, Izuna."

"W-What?" Izuna said, backing away herself. "She was fine two days ago!"

"She returned to Noxus and was found dead late last night, my father told me her secret about you and asked me to tell you if I could before leaving. I am so sorry, Izuna," Jack said, looking away again. His eyes seemed glossy. "I'm sorry I was so blunt about it... I've never had to do this before."

"It's alright... I hope... I don't know what to say..." Izuna said, leaning against the door. She felt a weakness overcome her legs.

"She left a crystal, encoded with some magic we're trying to decipher. People are guessing it's her will. You'll probably be told if anything mentions you," Jack said, crossing his arms again. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"W-why didn't she tell me earlier... I never even got to speak to her..." Izuna said, holding back tears, making her cheeks ache. Jack immediately hugged her tightly; she released her tears, sobbing quietly.

"It's alright Izuna. She wanted you to be healthy and happy," Jack said, smirking over her head. _'I'm starting to feel kind of guilty over this. Swain better reward me well for this.'_

"You should get going... I'll be okay," Izuna said, wiping her eyes on her robe's sleeve.

"I wish I could help somehow...I'll see you later," Jack said, taking slow steps back. He gave her a small wave before turning around.

"Bye Jack," Izuna said, sniffling. She slid down the wall, clutching her knees as she closed her eyes.

* * *

As LeBlanc turned a few corners, she returned to her normal form, sure that the girl would not follow. She smiled at her performance as a familiar crow landed near her.

"Tell Swain we're ready for the next step," LeBlanc said, as the crow landed on her hand. The crow made a quiet caw as it took to the skies as a chilly wind blew, raising the woman's skirt.

"Strange wind," LeBlanc said, raising her staff, while holding her clothes down with the other. A cold, skinny hand grabbed her arm tightly.

"My, you Noxians sure are crafty... LeBlanc is it? Thought you had passed on," the hooded woman said, standing behind LeBlanc. No people for what seemed like miles.

"If you value your life, you'd be wise to forget you saw me and move on," LeBlanc said, staring forward.

"Your hollow threats don't phase me, mortal. If you truly value yours, I suggest staying away from Izuna. Whatever you seem to have planned for her will surely fail," the woman said, gliding her fingers through LeBlanc's cheek.

"Seems the girl's true power is known by more people than us, huh?" LeBlanc said, pulling her arm away. She stepped forward quickly, turning around and shooting her ethereal chains forward. She felt a sharp impact hit her stomach as the woman appeared behind her again. She wrapped her arms around her neck and LeBlanc tried to fall in pain.

"You may win a measly battle but trust me," she began. She moved her hands away and spun the woman slowly. When the sorceress face her, she swung her arm quickly, cutting her cheek with her razor claws, making the woman quickly step back and grab her face."I have already won the war."

The hooded woman summoned a sharp wind, disappearing as LeBlanc covered her face quickly. The deceiver quickly regained her composure, wiping the blood from her cheek quickly.

"The show must go on," she said, smirking. As one of the most feared mages in the league, she didn't show a hint of fear.

She raised her staff and changed her image once again to a larger man. Her staff also quickly changed into a strange but notable hammer and her face was adorned in a light shade of facial hair.

_'Time to find that Piltoverian paragon.'_

The deceiver, now hidden as the Piltoverian hero himself, moved back towards Izuna's own room, with her sinister grin on her face.

* * *

"So... LeBlanc was your mother?" Mel said, crossing her arms as she thought about it.

Izuna sat on the floor and told Mel everything she had kept from her. Mel believed her intentions, she didn't think it would be a big deal and she knew of her girlfriend's obliviousness. It looked strange to see Mel in deep thought only wearing her underwear, it was a funny sight despite the seriousness of their conversation.

"I don't know how I should feel... I never knew her but still..." Izuna said, sighing. "My mother..."

"Are you sure she was telling the truth?" Mel asked, placing her arms on her side.

"She knew everything. She said she gave me to the woman who gave me to Joey and everything. I don't think she would lie about herself being...raped," Izuna said, grimacing at the thought.

"What will you do if she left a request from you?" Mel asked her.

"I guess I'll do it... I owe her that much, she let me have a great life here..." Izuna said, standing up slowly.

"That sounds good Izuna, I'll support you no matter what," Mel said, smiling.

"Thanks Mel..." Izuna said, sitting beside her.

"We don't have to practice today if you don't feel like it," Mel said, looking at the girl.

"I don't think I'll be able to focus very well today... Sorry my life has been such a mess lately... Everything was simpler when we were in the academy," Izuna said, laying down.

"It was. Everything will turn out good, don't worry. Good thing happen to good people," Mel said, laying beside her. "Plus, if we were still in the academy, you wouldn't be laying beside me right now."

"Things turned out alright. I am happy... Except," Izuna said, shutting her mouth immediately.

"Except what?" Mel asked, leaning up slightly.

_'Some weird hooded woman keeps stalking me and I'm terrified of being alone.'_

"Nothing..." Izuna said, leaning over the girl. "Thanks for being my friend, Mel."

The pink haired girl leaned down, nervously. Mel smirked and wrapped her arms around her neck, pulling the nervous valedictorian towards her. As their lips finally met for the first time, Izuna relaxed, closing her eyes and feeling frozen in time but without fear for the first time.

"You're adorable."

* * *

Joey sat in his desk in the dark room. He ran a hand through his dishelved hair as he let out a sigh. His eyes were closed and his face was that of deep thought.

His wooden desk was cluttered with some paperwork he had returned to finish, much of it pushed to the side to clear a path for the framed picture that rested in the center. His eyes opened and he picked up the picture, with a frown on his face.

"You better not be connected to any of this... I won't hesitate again," he said to no one, in a darker tone.

He stared at a second picture in the mess of papers. A picture of his old team before he became a teacher. He grabbed it and pulled it closer to his face.

The first noticeable thing in the picture was the two girls in the front with their huge smiles as they hugged; Catherine and their blond haired, Bilgewatian jungler Allison. Behind them were three boys, one stood in the center with long, brown hair. To his right was their Piltoverian support Caleb, a guy they kept in contact with and who was usually as busy as Caitlyn, it seemed. To the left of pictured Joey, was a tall, muscular black haired boy. His former best friend. His image made Joey quickly push the picture away.

"J-Joey, are you alright?" Catherine's voice came in as the door slowly opened.

"Yeah. I'm alright," Joey said, putting Izuna and his picture away in a drawer.

_'You're smarter than them Izuna, think things through.'_


End file.
